


Harry Potter and the Invincible Stag

by CuriousClockwork



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Cinderella Fusion, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Brief Historical Feelings on Homophobia, F/M, Friendship, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-13
Updated: 2018-09-28
Packaged: 2019-05-06 01:44:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 37,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14631477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CuriousClockwork/pseuds/CuriousClockwork
Summary: Fairy Tale AU. Cinderella AU. Harry Potter once had two loving parents, but they were taken away from him all too soon. Now forced to work in his own home for his step-relatives, Harry must rely on his mother's last words to keep on living. After a year in servitude, a chance meeting in a forest just may be the spark Harry needs to find happiness in his life once more.





	1. Amour

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recently, I went on a fairytale movie watching binge, and it's all I have been thinking about. I just wanted to watch a whole bunch of 90-minute films about magical places where good people fall in love and live happily ever after! So that's how this story came into fruition – I wanted to write about that cheesy love story. This story is Cinderella centric (with more influence from the 2015 live action film than the animation) but will still hopefully be unique.
> 
> There will be lines taken directly from the film and maybe a few from the 1950s animation throughout the entire story so I will just put the disclaimer here: Lines that I have taken from the 1950 and 2015 Disney films titled Cinderella are not my own and all rights are reserved by their respective owners.
> 
> Also, I chose the pairing of Harry/George because I find it cute and I wanted the "royal" role to be someone other than Draco, Tom, or Severus, that most tend to write about when pairing Harry with a male in these kinds of stories.
> 
> Edit: I know that it is 2018 and we have come a long way when it concerns social changes and roles in our society. I am very much a person who agrees with these changes like challenging the social roles of men and woman (or at least what it means to be feminine and masculine), letting people love who they love and marrying them and people treating everyone with respect no matter race, color, religion, etc. But, this is an old story that has been around for a long time. I by no means want to insult anyone with my writing in this story, but I will be 'realistic' with the setting and how people thought back then. Harry (and George obviously) are gay but being anything but heterosexual in this time is most certainly taboo. I will broach this subject though I obviously won't go too in depth. This is just to let everyone know where I stand and that I hope people will not be too rude to me thinking that these are my beliefs.

* * *

Once upon a time, in lands far to the west, there lived a young couple who resided on the outskirts of a kingdom.

They were young in heart and age and they were hopelessly in love.

Though most people told them that they should be cautious since they were just beginning their lives, the couple were already set in a steady amount of prosperity and a healthy lifestyle, for the young man hailed from a lineage of wealthy merchants. He himself joined in his family's traditions and became a merchant when the time came for him to find himself a wife.

Yet, the couple's fortune did not go to their heads. For love and happiness was all they needed to be content with their lives in all the days to come. And just so, a year later, their love brought a child into their lives. He was their whole world, and in their eyes, there was no one in the entire world that was more stunning and precious.

With a crown of dark hair that matched his father and a pair of bright eyes that reflected his mother, he was a beautiful babe that would grow up knowing nothing but wonder and truth, courage and faith, love and kindness. James and Lily Potter welcomed little Harry into the world on the eve of August, and from that day on, the small family of three would need nothing but each other to be content.

The babe soon grew into a young child and he continued to hold the values that his parents instructed him on. As a child, he was a curious little thing who loved to learn new things every day and find a bit of adventure around every corner.

When his father was gone on his long trips that took him to the various countries and kingdoms, Harry would spend all his time with his mother. With a face as soft as a flower petal and red hair as bright as the ripest apple, Harry was always struck by Lily's beauty. Whenever the moment would allow him, young Harry would never leave her side throughout the day.

Absorbing everything she taught him, Harry learned to appreciate all walks of life.

For as long as he could remember, young Harry had trouble making human friends. It was an unfortunate side effect of being taught from home, but Harry was adaptable. Instead, he learned to befriend all the animals that lived upon their lands. The goose and the chickens were lovely to speak to in the mornings and the goats and horses where a joy to listen to in the evenings, but it was the mice, of all things, that Harry loved the most. The little creatures were swift and nimble, and they loved to help in any way they could.

Whenever Harry was behind in his chores or lonely in the middle of the night, the small mice were there to comfort him. Giving each of the critters a name, Harry found that he grew even closer to them. Even with an imagination as wild and extravagant as his own, Harry was certain that they understood him whenever he spoke to them.

If he ever tried to explain his reasoning's to his father, James would simply smile and pat his head. He never tried to deny his child the wonderment of animals communicating with him, but Harry could tell that the man thought it was his imagination.

Lily on the other hand, would always ask Harry about the mice.

She always listened to his tales with a smile stretched across her lips and loving look in her eyes. Harry was certain that she did not truly believe him either, but on more than one occasion, Harry saw the redhead glance towards the corners of the room or spare a look at high shelves where Harry knew his little friends liked to reside with a knowing light sparkling in her eye.

The work the household did every day to keep the mansion and grounds running smoothly was also something Harry learned to appreciate and, eventually, help with. He and his mother would assist with small chores in the morning to alleviate some of the workload that everyone had to do. And every day, after those morning chores, mother and son would pack a lunch in their basket and escape to the meadows behind their home to spend afternoons upon a hill of flowers where nothing but laughter could be heard upon the winds.

The two would play games of chase, build the most extravagant flower crowns, and find all types of images in the shifting clouds above. And in those moments, when mother and son were alone, their conversations were made up of the most magical and mysterious words. Harry would tell his mother of all the amazing and fantastical creatures he would read about in his story books and ask his mother if they were indeed real.

Though Harry was convinced they were made up, he was always surprised and happy to hear his mother nod her head and say that she did believe that such creatures and animals lived somewhere in the world. One time, Harry even asked his mother if she thought Fairy Godmothers were real and once more, Lily gave a bright smile as she told her beloved son that yes, Fairy Godmothers were as real as humans and mice.

When one would ever find the two in each other's company, there was never a face that did not shine with a smile at the sight of the love mother and child shared.

Harry's father would return every two months with talk of all the wonders he saw on his travels and all the people he met. With his return, James would also bring home a gift for his child. A small, modest souvenir from wherever he had been would grace Harry's delicate hands as soon as his father stepped off the carriage, and it would always soon join Harry's growing collection that graced the shelves above his bed.

Before he would head out for another trip, James would always take young Harry aside and ask him what he wished to be brought home from the exotic places around the world. And every time, young Harry would give the same request – something small enough to fit in the palm of his hand.

Harry would also request that his souvenir be properly taken care of. In this sense, he would always remind his father that this meant his carriage must travel a reasonable pace and must not wander off the road in search of a shortcut, for the thing most precious to him would surely be gone should he make haste home.

James would then smile in understanding and cup the top of his child's head and ruffle his fingers through the thick, wild locks. He knew Harry spoke of James himself coming home safely and not the trinket, but he would still always make sure to bring home an object that would fit in his small palm.

This routine had been all the small family had known for the better part of decade with Harry turning ten in just a few short months.

It was difficult at times when they were apart, but they learned all the better to appreciate the times that they were in each other's company.

Until one fateful day, after tucking her son in for the night, Lily fell terribly ill.

Distraught, James hired every available doctor in the lands. He hoped that one of them may find and cure what ailed his wife, but it was to no avail. A strange sickness that few had heard of plagued the red head, and most of the doctors agreed upon one thing – Lily had but a few weeks left before the illness would take her.

It was on the last day that Lily would take breath, that she requested Harry come sit with her in the sunroom, for she had one last thing to teach her son.

Harry had slowly opened the door into the sunroom, cautious to make as little noise as possible so that he may not disturb his mother. He peeked inside to see her sitting around the small, circular table in the center of the room.

Her face was tilted upward with eyes closed, letting the rays of light that filtered through the stained windows fall upon her pale figure. Her hands were clasped upon the table and as he walked closer, Harry could see her squeeze them to try and stop the subtle tremor that wracked through her slender body.

"Mother," came the softest whisper to let her know that he had arrived as she had asked of him.

"Harry," Lily was quick to open her eyes to find her child as she greeted him. She reached out a hand for one of his own which he gladly accepted as he sat down in the chair next to her, allowing her to rest her arm on the tables surface once more.

"You wished to see me?"

"Yes, my child, I did. Harry, I do not believe I have much time left in this world-"

"Please don't say that!" Harry exclaimed as tears began to fill his eyes. He squeezed his mother's hand as much as he would allow the frail woman to handle to try and get his words across, but Lily continued.

"Oh, Harry. My baby boy, I do not wish to hurt you so, but I must tell you this for I do not want to leave without regret. It hurts us both, I know this, but you must listen. Listen and learn and grow. Can you do that my sweet?"

With pursed lips, Harry gave a small nod of understanding as he reached forward with his other hand to clasp at both of her own.

"I'm going to tell you a secret my Harry. A great secret that will help through all the hardships that life may bring to you. You must always remember this: Have courage and be kind. You have more kindness in your little finger than most do in their whole body and it has power. More than you know. And magic."

"Magic?" Harry asked in a small, wonderous tone.

"Truly. Have courage and be kind, my darling. Will you promise me?" Lily by this point had leaned forward to gaze into her child's eyes. Both reflected tears as they understood the importance of their conversation, but neither would let them fall for that would mean it was certain.

"I promise."

"That's a good boy. Come here."

She released her hold upon her child's hands and instead opened her arms, allowing her son to quickly rise from his seat to run into her breast. He rested his head below her chin and Lily began to feel dampness soak into her dress. She allowed herself to close her eyes to revel in the warmth of her child before she raised her head towards the door.

There stood James with a look of sorrow. He knees seemed to shake from his own weight and before he knew it, he was at their side. Joining in the embrace, he fell to his knees so that he could rest his own head upon his wife's and the three simply stayed together for a few moments. All the while, sniffling could be heard from the three as they finally allowed all their tears to fall.

"I love you, so very much, my dear Harry." Lily finally said.

More sounds of sniffling could be heard, and Lily felt even more tears soak through her clothing before she heard her son reply.

"I love you too, mama."

And just like that, the small family of three became two.

.

* * *

.

Time passed, and pain turned to memory.

Harry grew once more, into a beautiful young man and all the while, he stayed the same for he remembered the words his mother spoke to him. And he would never forget them for as long as he lived.

_Have courage and be kind._

.

* * *

.

It was a warm spring afternoon when Harry and James could be found sitting in the parlor. The two sat relaxed in their favorite chairs as they sipped cups of tea while Harry read aloud a chapter from one of his favorite books.

The young man had finished the recent chapter for the day and was closing the book when James finally set his teacup down, preparing to speak with the younger male.

Clearing his throat to gain Harry's attention, James began his rehearsed speech from this morning, "Harry, there is something of great importance that I wish to speak with you about."

"Yes, father?"

"Well, do you remember my fellow merchant that resides just a few kingdoms over? He was a good acquaintance of mine and I believe you met him once when he was here on a business trip."

"Yes, I think I do. A Lucius Malfoy, correct? Yes, I do believe I can remember a man with such pale, long hair," Harry finished with the faintest of giggles at the thought of the well primed locks the older man possessed.

James began to lean forward slightly to gain his sons attention once more, a serious look quickly silencing the laughter, "Yes, Lucius. Well it is with unfortunate news that Mr. Malfoy has passed just last weekend. A horrible hunting trip gone wrong I was informed. And with his passing, it has left his wife, Narcissa, a widow."

Here, James paused in his speech, instead gazing right into Harry's own eyes to see if he understood where he was going with this conversation. Seeing, for the most part, a look of confusion, James continued, "I do not believe you have had the pleasure of meeting her before, but I must tell you Harry, that she is quite the beautiful woman. It is also not proper for a woman of her standing to be left alone after such a tragedy, and I was to think that should we meet…"

He trailed off after he saw the beginnings of understanding grow on his son's face.

The flash of understanding came and went however, and sorrow filled its place. Harry turned his gaze away from his father and instead looked at his hands as they rested upon his lap. James wanted to marry again.

It hurt to know that with his mother gone, his father would want to find another woman, but at the same time, it has been six years since she passed. That was quite a long time to be alone and Harry was not blind. He noticed that his father had been declining in his own health ever since they lost Lily. His skin had become pale and his face seemed to age several years.

He was sad and lonely, and he simply wanted to be happy once more. Who was Harry to deny his own father that?

Giving a sigh of acceptance, Harry looked up at his father with a small smile. For the most part, it was genuine, but both knew that there was bit of force behind it, for what child could ever be truly happy that one of their parents wanted to find love after losing their spouse.

"Yes, of course father. You deserve to be happy once more and if Ms. Narcissa is the woman you believe will bring you this, then who am I to deny you the opportunity?"

Relief shined in James's face and he leaned over the coffee table to clasp Harry's hands, "Yes! Yes Harry, I do wish to happy. Do you think I am permitted to have this? Just one more chance in my life to settle down and live a life worth it all?"

"Indeed father. You deserve all the happiness in the world." Even as he spoke these words, a few tears formed in the corners of his eyes.

Hearing the hope in James's voice was heart breaking. The man should not have burdened himself with trying to appease Harry about marrying another woman. Harry was still only a child in the eyes of most, and James should have looked after his own heart. If that meant marrying without asking for permission from his own child, then so be it.

"Thank you, my boy! And Narcissa is a wonderful woman, I promise you. She'll merely be your step-mother and you will not need to worry yourself about replacing Lily – no one ever could. Nothing will change I promise you; we will simply gain more family. You will have siblings now, wont that be exciting? A brother and a sister imagine that!"

James's face shone with happiness and imagination at the new people who would soon grace their home.

For Harry however, he felt wary. He tried to smile for his father, but inside, he knew that things would indeed change. No matter how nice and pleasant his step-relatives would be, there would always been a string of tension knowing that there had once been another husband and wife in the two households who had passed and pushed the two families together.

And so, in no more than three months, everything changed again.

James traveled to the kingdom where his new wife-to-be lived, and they had a grand ceremony. James had asked Harry to come but he declined to attend. He used the excuse of helping around the household and tidying it up for that arrival of the new family members.

In truth, Harry simply wanted time alone and have the chance to burn the memory of his home into his mind before it would be transformed with new people residing within.

James had given Harry a look that told him he understood what he was doing, but let it go.

The months with James away were always hard, especially after Lily passed, but it seemed to Harry that this time put even more stress upon his shoulders. When James would return from this trip, Harry would have a step-mother and step-siblings.

The change would be quick and difficult, but all Harry had to do to calm down was remember his mother's words, and all was well.

When the letter came, telling Harry that they had wed and were now traveling back home, all the young man could do was pace in anxiety.

A week and a half later, Harry's father and his new family arrived.

.

* * *

.

He could hear the telling signs of hoofs and wooden wheels moving along the dirt road that led up to the front of the mansion. Windows had been left open to allow fresh summer air in to liven up the rooms, while Harry had sat in the parlor, awaiting the arrival of his family.

Quickly standing up, Harry raced into the main hall and stopped short at a large hanging mirror. He straightened the wrinkles in his white shirt, tucked the ends into his black trousers, and tried to smooth his wild hair. The locks permitted Harry a minute of looking smart before they sprung back up to stand at all angles upon his head.

Shaking his head in acceptance, he then headed for the front door and all too soon, he stood at the top of the steps with his hands firmly clasped in front of himself, ready to welcome his family home from their travels.

The carriage had not even come to a complete stop around the front fountain, yet the sounds of laughter and sniggering could easily be heard. The closed window curtain shifted out of the way and Harry spotted narrowed eyes as they examined their surroundings. Swinging back into place, the curtain did nothing to hide the new round of laughter that came from within.

When the carriage finally stopped, and the footman came around to open the door, Harry was pleased to see his father step out. Tension melted off the young man's shoulders and with a smile, he finally stepped of the front steps and headed to greet the older man.

"Welcome home father. I hope travel along the roads was pleasant?"

Before James was able to reply to his son, another voice interrupted.

"Pleasant? What in the world is  _pleasant_ about being stuck in a carriage all this time? The rocking was simply terrible on my shoulders and the rain made the roads all muddy. Every time we stopped for the night, it was practically a gamble to see if my dress would stay clean." It was a beautiful young woman that had spoken as she followed James out of the carriage. Platinum blonde hair flowed behind her and the dress she wore was an extravagant piece of cloth that complimented her figure.

"Astoria, dear, Harry did not mean pleasant in that way. No, he was simply asking if we are in good health after such a long amount of travel," James tried to ease the confusion before anything bitter could grow between the two as he held out his hand to help his new step-daughter down the last step.

"Well then perhaps, it would have been better to phrase it differently. If there is the possibility of a misunderstanding, surely one would want to rearticulate it, no?" Another, masculine, voice joined the conversation as a second blonde landed upon the gravel.

James had a strained look on his face as he turned to Harry. With a thinning of his lips, Harry understood that he wished for him to ease the conversation quickly.

Giving a tight smile in greeting, Harry finally stepped forward with hand outstretched. The male glanced at the hand before reaching forward to shake it. Harry then tuned to the female and bowed as he raised his palm up. She graciously placed her hand in his and Harry kissed the top like the gentleman he was taught to be.

Stepping back, Harry then took the opportunity to correct himself to his new siblings. "I apologize for confusing you. It is a habit of mine to ask that question to my father whenever he returns home. Yes, pleasant can have a variety of meanings, but between us, it has always meant health of the body."

"Thank you my dear, for straightening that out. My children can be a bit…  _eager_ , but I assure you, they mean well and after you three get to know one another, I hope we will be able to get along just fine." It was last, but certainly not least, the final blonde that stepped out the carriage and onto the gravel (with a helping hand from James) that intimidated Harry the most.

Though her hair was just as striking and bright as her two offspring, the dark eyebrows and lashes gave away her natural hair color. Yet, the mismatch did nothing to deter her beauty. Blue eyes stood out as they were surrounded by heavy eye-shadow and her red lips were perfect upon thin lips. Her aged skin still appeared smooth and soft, while her cheeks naturally held the faintest blush. Posture was perfect, and her hands were delicately clasped in front as she looked over Harry.

She wore a small off placed, black veil that casted square shadows across her sharp cheekbones. Surrounded by black and dark greens, her dress was some of the best fabric that that could be bought which showed off her deep collar bones and flared out at the shoulders. Her smile was sharp, and her eyes lidded as she looked Harry up and down. Harry knew it was customary for a widow to wear black after their spouses passing, but Harry found it a bit odd and rude that she still bore the colors so much even though she was now remarried.

Harry stepped forward once more and bowed as he stretched out his hand, awaiting her own.

There was a pause which prompted Harry to peer up to see what was wrong. Her eyes met his and from their angle, he knew that only the two of them could properly see each other. She glared at him as her lips pursed but before he could say a word, the look was gone, and she finally rested her hand in his own. He placed a small peck before he stood once more.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, my lady. Welcome to Potter Manor."

"My, what the gentleman you are. The pleasure is all mine. I do hope you can find it in your heart to welcome us into your home?"

The words were nothing but pleasant, but the undertone was not lost upon Harry. He could tell that she was testing him to see if there was any resentment towards her. After all, she was the one to steal his father's heart after Lily.

Taking in a small breath, Harry looked at her with a confident smile as he hid a hand behind him so that he could fist it in growing frustration. "Of course, not Step-mother. This is now our home, after all."

One elegant eyebrow seemed to twitch at the title before is smoothed once more.

Silence began to fill the air before James was smart enough to break it, "Well then, I suppose proper introductions are in order, don't you think, dear?" He looked to Narcissa as he took her arm in his.

With a nod in agreement, the older woman waved her hand to beckon her two children to her other side. They were quick to follow her unspoken order and soon, the two siblings stood in front of Harry.

With a bow, the boy introduced himself as Draco Lucius Malfoy, the eldest of the two.

With a curtsy, the girl introduced herself as Astoria Narcissa Malfoy, the youngest of the two.

Harry then followed in the same fashion, giving his own full name of Harry James Potter.

"I do you hope you two will forgive me, but I simply could not force my children to change their surname and leave behind one the of the last memories of their father," Narcissa said after introductions were out of the way.

The more she spoke, the more frustrated Harry became. He could easily tell that she was trying to push buttons and get a reaction out of him, for whatever reason.

"Oh, that's quite alright my dear, I understand. If the roles were reversed, I would hope that you would allow Harry to keep his name as well." James had replied for him and Harry was happy that he did not have to speak to the older woman.

"How in the world would that work?" Astoria said in a high tone. "You're the husband so your name would never change. It seems silly to me to think of that comparison when it is simply not the same."

"Astoria!" Narcissa said in a stern tone as she sharply turned her head to look at her daughter. She then turned to James with an apology on her lips, but James cut her off.

"It's alright dear, Astoria is quite right. I apologize Astoria, that was a bit silly of me. But I was simply stating that if the roles were indeed different, I would hope you would be as accepting of my Harry keeping his surname just as I am allowing you right now."

Harry was stunned and pleased. His father, ever the aristocrat, had been able to get his point across while also subtly scolding his new step-daughter.

He was sure everyone knew what he had just done, and no one dared to challenge the man in his own home. It was a small feat, but it was sweet justice all the same. Harry was happy to see the new family members be put down a peg or two after all the snotty-ness that they seemed to emit in the few moments they have already been here.

After the moment passed, James was finally able to gather everyone and welcome them into the house. Draco and Astoria were quick to leave the new parents and Harry alone as they peered into every room and observed the décor and layout of the magnificent manor.

With arms still intertwined, the newlyweds leisurely strolled into each room, taking their time to look around as James let Narcissa see what her new home looked like. Harry followed behind them for a while but eventually let them be.

As he turned to leave the dining room to head in the direction of the voices of his step-siblings, he heard another carriage pulling forward onto the gravel.

He peered outside to see some of the household unloading various furniture and decorations from the arrived carriage. Stepping outside once more, Harry stopped Neville Longbottom, one of the laborers that worked on the grounds, to ask what was going on.

He told Harry that it was a second carriage that belonged to Narcissa and her children. Apparently, she had thought it best to bring some of her more extravagant furniture and decorative pieces with her to her new home.

Harry watched for a few moments as the household brought in a love-seat, two lamps, and a large rug. He eventually stepped in to help and he happily took one side of the large, rolled up carpet. The one who had been holding it first, a young man by the name of Colin, had tried to object, but Harry was a firm believer in helping everyone no matter who they were. Even though it was part of Colin's job, Harry simply could not stand there and let hard working people pass by while he had two good hands to make the work go by quicker.

As he and Neville set down the heavy burden in the front hall, Draco and Astoria came down the stairs.

"What in the world are you doing?" Draco asked as he stopped short of the last few steps. The extra height made him tower over the two and as he placed one hand on the rail and the other on his hip, Harry though he looked like a spoiled prince.

"Helping to bring all of the things  _you_  brought here."

"But why?" Astoria chimed in. "That's what the help does. They  _help_  bring in our things so that we don't have to lift a finger."

"You may believe that, but I actually enjoy assisting around the house. If one has the hands to do the work, it would benefit everyone if they chipped in to get things done quicker for everyone involved. They may be 'help' to you, but they are still people who can only work so much in a day."

Neither had anything to say to that and Astoria just sniffed and gave a 'hmm' as she passed him to walk into the parlor.

Draco moved to follow her and as he walked passed where Harry and Neville still stood, he pushed Neville's shoulder which bumped into the wall. There was no force behind the act, but the intention was quite clear to all three in the hall.

With a glare directed at their backs, Harry turned to Neville to see if her was alright. He said it was nothing and that it did not hurt.

After rubbing his shoulder all the same though, he eventually turned to head outside once more to bring in more furniture and Harry happily followed.

His siblings may have thought that the household workers were nothing but slaves, but Harry did not. His mother taught him better than that and besides, these people were his friends.

.

* * *

 .

Months passed, and it was soon the middle of the winter. James took time off traveling to help his new family settle in and feel more at home. Harry was the happiest with the outcome, glad to spend as much time with his father as he could before he would need to leave once more once the winter ended. With most of the lands currently covered in snow, people tended to stay indoors and at Potter Manor, it was no different.

The various fireplaces within the home were always roaring with flames and for the most part, the mansion was warm with the heat and glow. It was the attic, up above in the tower towards the back of the home, that did not permit warmth to grace its walls.

Though no one dared to go up there due to the temperature, it still affected the rest of the house since the draft would tend to travel down the swirling steps during the nights and leave chilled halls to be felt by the residents when they awoke the next morning.

And yet, the family and household made do with the small issue and continued to live peacefully for the most part.

Draco and Astoria, however, were quick to tell anyone who was within hearing range that they were cold, and something simply needed to be done to fix the issue.

Narcissa tended to agree with her children, but she was smart enough to only voice these thoughts to James behind closed doors. It was, after all, not proper for a lady to complain about such an issue where those below her could eavesdrop.

He would hear her arguments, but James would always explain to his wife that the house was ancestral and old. It would make sense that the highest part of the home would be cold in the winter (and warm in the summer) and that not much could be done. The money to build or fix the issue would be quite high and no one is ever up in the attic for long periods of time, so the need to fix it is not a priority.

Narcissa would then reluctantly agree with her husband and move on until the next time her children would bring up the issue and she would once again seek out James to argue about the tower.

The matter never truly went away, but as the months passed and spring once again graced the kingdom, the Malfoy's had no reason to speak of the cold halls any longer.

It was also when the beginnings of spring sprouted that James would start his travels once more. The winters tended to freeze the roads and travel within the kingdom was usually reduced to emergencies and the experienced travelers. Yet, with the roads now thawed, it was time for James to once again start up his business and return to his merchant travels.

And so, as he began preparations to once again head for the bizarre and mysterious kingdoms and lands that stretched beyond the usual boarders, James asked his son what he would like to be returned to him this time.

As per usual, Harry gave his father a smile and asked for a figure that would be small enough to fit in his hand. Even as the years passed by and Harry requested the same thing, the objects had progressively gotten bigger in size since he himself grew from child to young adult. It was when he reminded his father for the umpteenth time that he should be cautious on his journey so that he would return home safely, Astoria interrupted them.

She had heard the tail end of their conversation and realized that James brought home objects from around his travels. She gave a look of surprise as she was 'caught' listening and in appeasement, James offered to bring home something for her and her brother as well so that the two would not feel left out of receiving something unique from lands far away.

Harry resisted rolling his eyes as he heard her sprout off that she would like to have a folding fan with floral printing on it.

He was not a man that held much value in material things and if he did, they had sentimental worth due to the fact they reminded him that his father had returned from those trips. He had hoped she would ask for something with a little more historical or of educational value, but it was not to be. To each their own, he supposed.

When James finally departed a few days later, Harry learned that Draco had eventually asked for a dagger covered in nothing but the finest jewels.

It was the second time that Harry had to stop himself from outright reacting to such a selfish request.

He had already gotten the impression from the new family members that they were most comfortable when they were surrounded by nothing but the finest, but to learn that even with all the extravagant things the two already had, they would dare ask James to bring home such frivolous objects. Did they not realize that those objects did not come free and would be from James's own pocket?

The endless thinking did nothing to calm Harry and as the first few days passed without James there to keep him company, Harry soon began to see the true colors of the remaining Malfoy family.

.

* * *

 .

It had been three days since James departed.

Following his usual schedule, Harry had awoken at a relatively early hour so that he could gather fresh ingredients from the garden to help make breakfast for the household. With quite a few people, along with their own children, living on the grounds to keep the place running smoothly, the first meal of the day was usually made in larger portions so that everyone would have something to eat and there would not have to be too much work done to create the large amounts. Harry also preferred to help cook breakfast simply because he would not have to dine alone and instead he could sit with everyone and hold pleasant conversations.

Even when James was home, Harry would find himself sleeping in only a few times throughout the year because he simply adored everyone who lived on the grounds. Harry had also found it to be fun nowadays so that he would not think about his father too much and worry about the older man.

Ever since the family grew in the last half year, meal times for the five of them were usually delayed due to the new family members preferring to stay up late and sleep in. For Harry however, he would always be a morning person.

Thus, when most had finished eating that morning, the sun had already finished rising.

Everyone had left to start their own tasks for the day and Harry had offered to clean up the dishes. Everyone thanked him, telling him that with his help, they could all get a head start on their own objectives. It was just moments later that Astoria and Draco walked into the dining room. Without batting an eye, the two siblings sat down in their chairs and grabbed the two newspapers that were placed near their plates.

Harry spotted them after hearing the shifting of the chairs legs against the rugs. With an eye roll at their indifference to the world around them, Harry started gathering more ingredients for their breakfast.

As he planned to step outside to ask the head chef to come in to prepare another meal, Harry noticed that the chef was otherwise occupied with the chicken house. With a small chuckle at hearing the flustered voice drifting through the back-kitchen door, Harry found himself in front of the stove. He was no stranger to making the occasional dish, and with everyone else working so hard, Harry simply could not allow himself to stand in a corner, twiddling his thumbs when he could, instead, be doing something productive for the household.

If that meant he would have to cook for two people he would rather never see again in his life, so be it.

When the breakfast was made, Harry stepped into the dining room. Draco and Astoria looked up from their papers at the same time with shocked expressions. Without saying a word, the green-eyed man placed their meals and silverware in front of the two and headed back to the kitchen.

Seeing the looks that the two blondes made, Harry tried his best to keep quiet and be out of their way as fast as possible, not wanting to get into another argument with them about what a person of his standing should and should not do in his own house.

Throughout the rest of the day, he tried his best to stay away from his family and instead spent time with his closest friend Neville. On the few occasions that he caught a glimpse of the three however, Harry would see them staring right through him and laughing to each other when he would look away. His face would warm up a bit, but every time he would shake his head to get rid of his thoughts and concerns.

The following morning, another situation arouse that caused the chefs and gardeners to be outside all morning. They were struggling to rein in a few of the animals that had found their way into the fenced off garden and were trying to eat all the cabbages and carrots.

Once more, Harry found himself preparing another meal for his step-siblings. Only this time, Narcissa had gotten up alongside her children. And as Harry stepped into the room with two plates in his hands, he stopped short seeing the regal woman piercing him with a hard look.

**End Chapter One**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, how was it? Please let me know if this is something worth continuing.


	2. Liebe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the views and kind words. They really helped to motivate me to finally write more of this story.
> 
> And I am just so happy to see how much attention the first chapter got. Hopefully this story will continue to be fun to read and you will want to see where it will go! Though I must warn you now that I do not believe this will ever have a regular upload schedule. On a good note however, I do not think this story will be more than 8 to 10 chapters so there's that.

* * *

  _Once more, Harry found himself preparing another meal for his step-siblings. Only this time, Narcissa had gotten up alongside her children. And as Harry stepped into the room with two plates in his hands, he stopped short seeing the regal woman piercing him with a hard look._

* * *

 "Step-mother." Harry said in way of greeting.

The two stared at one another with no other words being spoken. Though they were a bit confused at the situation unfolding in front of them, the Draco and Astoria knew better than to try to interrupt their mother.

Finally, Narcissa gave the faintest of nods in acknowledgement.

Harry then fully stepped into the dining room and presented his siblings with their morning meals. Still being gazed from the older woman, Harry looked over to her as he headed for the kitchen. Knowing it was technically impolite of him to do it, Harry straightened his back as he turned his head to look over his shoulder at Narcissa.

"Would you like me to bring you your meal as well?" It would have been better for him to face his step-mother when speaking to her, but he was feeling a little spiteful to the fact that he was the only one helping the household while these three wasted the days away drinking, eating and hosting the most absurd evening parties.

"Please do. Oh, and Harry, I would much prefer to have ham over bacon."

With thinning lips, Harry gave a small nod as he walked back into the kitchen.

The sound of eating utensils being used, and the shifting of newspapers made the lack of talking in the room obvious. While Harry himself preferred to mutter to himself in the comfort of his own mind, he did not understand why the three in the dinning room were not conversing. It was none of his business, Harry supposed, what mother and children did during their usual morning breakfast.

When he finally composed a plate for Narcissa, Harry stepped back into the dining room and placed it in front of the woman.

Not wanting to be anymore rude than he already had been, Harry simply said 'enjoy' before he tried to leave once more. As it was, Narcissa spoke up again, causing Harry to turn back.

"Thank you, Harry. That was quite kind of you to do for my children and I. May I ask what you were doing in the kitchen in the first place? Surely you know that a young man of your standing should not be working like you're the help. That's what we have the servants for, dear."

Recalling that her daughter had said something like that him when they first arrived six months ago, Harry gave the same answer that he had told Astoria back then.

"It's alright, Step-mother. All the workers were a bit busy this morning and I had told them that I would happily make breakfast for today so that they would not have to worry about another task. I understand that it might seem unusual for me to work in the kitchens, but I find it can be relaxing sometimes. I don't do it often, if that is what you're concerned with."

She gave a quiet 'hmm' at his words before she proceeded to ignore him for favor of eating. Harry gave a quiet sigh before he escaped them once more.

He placed his hands on the edge of the kitchen counter as he tried to collect himself.

Those three were quite the handful and even a bit intimidating when all three were together like that, gazing into him with all those piercing pale blue eyes.

Harry gave another sigh as he finally straightened and headed outside to see what else he could help with for the rest of the morning.

.

* * *

.

The next few days seemed to be as regular as it could be for Harry. He helped where he could, he snuck off to the meadows behind the manor a few times, and he avoided his family as much as he could.

He did not make their breakfast again and lunch had always been a meal that one would eat on their own time. Dinners, however, were a different matter altogether. The evening meal had always been with the entire family. James had made sure of that ever since Harry could remember and even with him not currently available, the Potter family sure to still eat together.

Talk was minimal and awkward at best. The only small conversation that was made was that between Draco and Astoria. They never tried to bring their own mother into discussion and they certainly did not invite Harry to speak.

The young raven-haired male was not insulted – far from it. The less that he had to give them the time of day, the calmer Harry felt and that included dinnertime chitchat. He did frown to himself though, once that thought passed through him one evening. His dislike for the three other people in the house was not quite hatred, but neither was his tolerance of them. If these people were to be his family for the foreseeable future, Harry supposed that he should at least try to be more civil.

James was not here to be a mediator though, so if something caused a disagreement between the four of them, it would fall on themselves to try and sort it out.

Harry finally looked up from his plate, "Step-mother, how has the day been treating you?"

Conversation between the siblings ceased at once, their attention now caught between Harry and Narcissa. The older woman looked up from her own plate and faced Harry. "Quite well, I suppose. And you, Harry?"

"Quite well." Harry quickly realized that this would go nowhere. There was no common ground for pleasant conversation and Harry was not about to begin asking the more common questions one would ask when meeting an acquaintance.

Narcissa seemed to read his face and see his dilemma. Harry missed the wicked smirk that graced her perfect face before it was gone as quickly as it had been there. "This dinner is simply delicious. Did you make it Harry, dear?"

"Um, no, Step-mother. But I will be glad to let the head chef know that you found the meal pleasing." It was an odd question, and Harry could not quite understand what she was trying to say. That is, until she spoke once more. Then Harry understood perfectly.

"Oh, I thought for sure you would have. After all, it is one of the better things you are good at."

Giggling quickly replied to her remark. Harry shot his eyes over to his step-siblings and saw Draco smirking at him while Astoria hid her grin behind a dainty hand.

"O-oh." It was an ineloquent answer, but Harry simply did not how to respond to what was obviously an insult. He felt the beginnings of embarrassment creep into his cheeks before he tried to straighten his back and replied, "Thank you, Step-mother. I do enjoy making the occasional meal, though I must confess I am usually only able to provide dishes for those that tend to be late."

Narcissa narrowed her eyes at the jab and Harry felt himself match her attitude. Silence fell over the table once more.

"Well if you believe that you are good at cooking, then perhaps you should try it some more. After all, if you want to become good at something, one should practice it as much as they can, no?"

Not understanding how this change of direction was supposed to be rude, Harry gave a hesitant nod as he felt his eyebrows begin to lower.

"Well then it's settled," Narcissa spoke, "from now on, you can cook all breakfast meals – for everyone. It can give the head chef and his apprentices the opportunity to tend to the gardens and livestock each morning so that they may be prepared for lunchtime meals and dinners."

Stunned at what she had said, Harry could not think of anything to say to refute her.

She was after all, the lady of the house now. Above Harry himself when it came to the hierarchy of the household, he could nothing but obey her command. That is, until James returned from his travels. Harry simply looked down at his own plate as he gave a reluctant nod at her command and felt his face warm once more at the sound of Draco and Astoria laughing at his misfortune.

He once again missed the look that Narcissa tossed his way before she turned to her wineglass.

.

* * *

.

The weeks soon passed, and Harry thought he might lose his mind.

Harry had followed the orders of Narcissa and informed the chef that his was no longer needed to cook breakfast for the household any longer. At first, the poor man had thought that he was being let go, but Harry was quick to inform the older man that such a thing was not the case.

The raven-haired young man instead told the chef that he himself wanted to learn to better his cooking skills and what better way for him to start than to cook breakfast for the nineteen people, including the workers children, that lived on the grounds. That is, excluding James at the current moment in time. Breakfast was, after all, one of the more forgiving types of meals one could practice without ruining the food too much.

The head chef had given Harry an odd look when he learned of Harry's reasoning, but soon let it go as he saw how enthusiastic Harry seemed to be about honing a new skill.

What he did not know however, was that Harry had simply used the excuse that Narcissa had given and that Harry was good at lying for the sake of others.

Even though Harry would rather not perform such a duty every day, no matter how much he liked doing it occasionally, he knew better than to try to defy the woman without James around. Or even worse, ruin her influence by insulting her behind her back or insinuating that she was the one to insist that he cook in the first place.

His step-mother and step-siblings gradually become more vicious in their treatment and it only got worse as the days slowly went. Rude had been an adjective that Harry had first described their acts against him but the more they teased and tried to humiliate him, the stronger and nastier the adjectives got that described the three Malfoy's.

On more than on occasion, Harry thought he might even begin to cry when Draco and Astoria would get creative in their ways to try and push his buttons during meal times. It seemed that seeing how poorly their mother treated Harry, they thought they could as well.

The first few mornings after that evening with Narcissa had been quite easy. In fact, Harry would even say that he found slight enjoyment in doing it.

The thought put a smile on his face at the fact that he was able to find the silver lining in something that was linked to Narcissa's doing.

After a while however, Harry soon realized how horrible his step-relatives could be when they began complaining about their food.

The eggs were too runny, the eggs were too tough. Narcissa preferred bacon over ham now. No, she wanted ham again. Draco wanted wheat toast instead of croissants. Astoria would say that her coffee was too hot and then too cold, her silverware was not clean, Draco's tea was made all wrong, and there was not enough fruit choices for him to choose from.

Some foods on their plates were simply inedible, the entire thing was inedible. Toss it all out, Harry, and remake out breakfast. Never mind, Harry, we'll just skip the meal altogether. I don't want to poison myself with your gruel. It would do you some good, Harry, to practice some more. Why don't you spend the day seeing what you can do to improve? There's no need to go out today, is there?

The frustration would get to Harry, and he would feel defeated. He would hide himself away in the kitchens, trying to stop himself from letting tears fall.

The barest hint of someone walking in and catching him in such a state would always motivate him to gather and control himself. There was no need to look like a blubbering mess from just a few harsh words about how well he could or could not cook an egg.

It was with a great relief that James finally came home after two weeks of cooking for the Malfoy's.

Harry's father was back from his first trek of the year and though he would eventually set out once more, he always tried to stay for a while in between his travels for Harry's sake.

Early-May was a difficult time to enjoy the outside weather as the humidity after a storm made one's clothes cling to their bodies and their skin always feel damp. But for Harry, he could not have felt better then when he finally heard and soon spotted the carriage that held his father.

The young man did not waste time standing on the stone stairs that led to the front of the manor and instead leapt, passing the last few steps and landed on the gravel, right in front of the carriage.

What seemed like too long but was in fact mere seconds, the door finally opened and there was James. Twin smiles graced the faces of father and son as they reunited after a month and half away from each other.

Harry knew that most would find it undignified for a young man of sixteen to hug their father like that of a six-year-old, but in the moment, nothing could have stopped him. The want to finally feel a warm and kind touch after days and weeks of feeling nothing from the cold Malfoy's was a craving – a  _need_.

James was all too happy to welcome his son into his arms.

Even though he was leaning against his father and his words would be muffled, Harry spoke, "Welcome home father. I hope travel along the roads was pleasant?"

Knowing that James would understand the basics of what Harry had said since it was the same thing Harry spoke after every return from his travels, James simply smiled as he bent his head to place a soft kiss into his son's hair.

"Yes Harry," he replied with the same words he always used to respond to his child, "my roads were well taken care of and my travels were as pleasant as they can be without you there."

A smile began to form on his face from hearing the familiar words before the feel of strong arms wrapping him in an embrace brought upon emotions that he had been trying to keep at bay and soon, James felt a slight shake from his son. Grabbing hold of his sons shoulders and pulling back to what the matter was, he was astonished to see his son's bright eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

"What is the matter, son?"

"It is nothing, father, I am just so happy to finally have you home after so long."

"So long? Harry, I am usually always gone this long per trip. No, something else is the matter. Tell me, won't you?"

Harry debated telling his father the truth. Though he knew that James would help him by confessing to what Narcissa had him doing and that he would no longer be cooking, something in Harry stopped himself from answering right away. The pause made James raise an eyebrow in question and before Harry could come to an internal conclusion, a small sound of a throat clearing broke apart the reunion.

Harry stepped aside and turned to face the front door and spotted Narcissa at the top of the stairs with her two children a step behind her, lurking in her shadow.

With another smile gracing his features, James moved towards the woman, leaving Harry standing near the carriage as he watched his father head up the stairs to greet his wife.

From his perspective, Harry felt as though a large rock had been dropped into his stomach as he watched James embrace Narcissa. With a peck on her cheek, he then turned to Draco and Astoria, giving a handshake and another kiss to the cheek, respectively. Though he knew that his step-siblings were only being sweet on James to make sure that they would receive their gifts from his travels, Harry felt left out as he gazed upon the four.

They looked like a painting reflecting the perfect, loving family that was greeting their long-lost husband and father while Harry was left alone, below and near the carriage as though he belonged nowhere near them.

The sting in his heart seemed unbearable in that moment and as the faintest whisper of telling his father the truth even crossed his mind, Harry looked up once more and spotted Narcissa staring him down.

It was quite an easy feat considering she was already elevated higher than Harry from where she stood at the top of the stairs. The gaze however, was still just as striking and intimidating.

Right away, Harry understood what the look meant.

_Tell nothing to James, and you will no longer need to cook._

Determination made Harry stand to his full height and finally walked forward towards the four.  _Yes_ , Harry thought to himself,  _I shall keep quiet for father's sake. He need not bother himself with a crying son who complains about cooking a few meals for his wife._

James turned back to Harry then with a large grin on his face. The image was so sticking for Harry that he paused in his walking and instead let James walk back over to him.

"Don't think I forgot your gift, Harry," James said as he walked passed his son with a pat to his shoulder. Eyes following his father, Harry watched as James stepped up to the back of the carriage and with some help from Neville, who had come up as soon as James' carriage had arrived, a trunk was set upon the gravel and opened right away. A squeal from behind Harry made him flinch and soon enough, Astoria swept passed to stand by James.

A beautiful, floral fan was quickly in her hands and with her prize claimed, she turned and ran back inside the house without any form of thanks leaving her lips.

More shifting gravel told Harry that Draco had come over as well. Though he appeared much more indifferent than his sister, the greed in his eyes was still noticeable. He gave a simple thank you, yet Harry felt as though it was not heartfelt in the least.

Finally, it was Harry's turn. He was fine with the other two receiving their gifts first for it meant that Harry could then spend time with his father after receiving his own.

"What is it this time?" Harry asked.

"Hold on just a moment – let me find it. I know it's here somewhere. Aha! Alright Harry, close your eyes and hold out your hand."

Doing as instructed, Harry then felt a small weight be placed onto his palm.

Once the weight was settled and no more was added, he finally opened his eyes to see a miniature wheelbarrow. It was only just smaller than Harry's entire hand – from the base of his wrist up to the tip of his finger – and within the wheelbarrow were only a few flowers. In fact, the more Harry gazed upon the flowers, he noticed that they were Lilies. Tears threatened to fall once more and as he looked back up at his father, Harry felt a few of them escape to his cheeks once he saw the older man had glistening eyes as well.

"Thank-thank you. They are beautiful. Very much like mother."

"I'm glad you love them. I came upon such a sight when I was a few countries over. I was in quite the large marketplace and there were simply so many stalls and vendors. In the corner of the square, there was an older lady selling a variety of cute little objects that were filled with nothing but the most vibrant flowers. I spotted this one right away and just knew it would be your gift this time."

With the gift balanced in one hand, Harry happily leaned forward and gave his father another hug in thanks.

With the lily's cradled in his arms and the carriage being relieved of its burdens by the workers, Harry and James began their stroll throughout the grounds. They spoke about everything and nothing at all. Simply happy to be in his presence once more, Harry made sure to not bother the older man with his personal issues and instead continued to stroll outside, absorbing the mid-day sunlight and laughter that escaped from James.

.

* * *

.

As Harry had hoped, he was no longer teased and pestered by the Malfoy's with James there.

Behind his back, the only problem that Harry faced was Draco glaring at him and Astoria looking at him as though he were a specimen under a microscope.

He was able to brush their looks away.

Indeed, the month with James in Potter Manor brought a peace to Harry and left him feeling like everything was right in the world. It was then, no more than a few says later that Harry had to hold back the tightness in his throat as he watched his father help the household prepare his carriage once more.

He tried to keep his lips from trembling so that they would not reveal how much he did not want his father to leave him once more. Occasionally, James would look over to him with a small smile as though he already knew what Harry was feeling.

Finally, the carriage was filled to the brim with his wares and James stood before the coach looking Harry in the eye as silence descended upon the two.

Harry could feel the stares from behind him on the stairs once more, but he tried to ignore them in favor of bidding James goodbye.

With a shaky sigh, Harry whispered, "Don't go."

James held a look of exasperation and devastation, "Oh Harry, you know that I must. I do what I love and what I must to keep our family happy and prosperous. I do this for you."

"Well can't you just stay for a few more days? I miss you terribly when you are gone."

Pulling Harry into his arms, James murmured into Harry's hair, "I love you, son. I know that Narcissa and her two children can be a handful occasionally, but they are our family now. I know that my leaving has been harder on you since Lily left us, but this is my profession."

Harry simply clung to James even more at his words. Fistfuls of his coat filled Harry's hands and he finally peaked up at the older man, "But how much longer? I know that it is Potter tradition, but surely you do not plan to be a Merchant your whole life."

A chuckle escaped at those words, "No, Harry, I suppose I don't. But I do still believe that it will be a few more years before I will think of retiring to a more leisurely occupation. Tell you what – how about I try to hurry this specific trip? If I make it home exactly one month from today, I will not leave again until I have been home with you for two."

Knowing that it would be the only bargain that James would make, Harry finally nodded in acceptance.

All too soon, James sat at the front of his carriage and as he and the other two carriages with the rest of his wares began to leave through the front gate, Harry felt his feet moving on their own. He ran after the trotting horses and once they passed the gates and turned onto the road, Harry followed and stopped once he passed the gates.

"I love you, father!" Harry shouted once more, wanting it to be the last words he spoke to his father until he returned.

"Good bye Harry! One month!" James shouted in reminder and with a wave of a hand that he spared from the horse reins.

Harry continued to watch as the three coaches gradually got smaller until they were gone completely after overcoming the small hill on the horizon. Even though he knew that James would not have spotted him as he got progressively farther away, Harry made sure to wave his arm in the air at their continued departure.

His arm finally got tired and as he lowered it and turned back to the house, Harry found that the Malfoy's had already retired back into the house at some point.

The realization swept upon Harry as he was now once more at the mercy of Narcissa and her spawns. James was gone once more and though she had indicated that she would not force Harry to cook, he understood that she might push him to do something else for her amusement. He gave a deep sigh at that and as Harry headed back towards the house and the Malfoy's Harry reminded himself of Lily's last words and it brought newfound confidence to the young man.

_Have courage and be kind._

.

* * *

.

Harry's prediction came true and Narcissa found new ways to keep her amusement at Harry's misfortune. Though they were not harmful, neither were they harmless.

The lady of the house would bid Harry to help clean up the dishes one morning, then tidy up the solar the next. They were menial tasks, but it was the way in which she spoke and the remarks she would make once Harry was done, that were straining.

It was certainly  _not_  simply teasing, no matter how much Narcissa insisted it was.

The first week went by without James and Harry soon found himself dreading the days. Waking up to the realization that he lived under the same roof as those three did nothing to motivate him to leave the room.

What also soon got to Harry was how Draco and Astoria would treat him. Narcissa was a horrible influence on her offspring and they greedily picked up on her mannerisms towards Harry. The mocked him as much as she did and teased him when he did the small housework tasks.

The worst, Harry thought, was how clever they were about it all. None of the household were ever around whenever their true personalities shined, and Harry never ran to them for help.

How could he? Aftercall, Narcissa was the  _lady_  of the house. For one thing, people would certainly think she either was entitled to how she acted in her own home or they would not believe Harry because he was the only one who had ever seen her act like such. The household knew her to be strict, but never abusive.

Another week went by and the slight hope Harry held grew once he realized half the month had passed. James would arrive in another two weeks.

It did not do much for motivation, but it did build optimism.

For poor Harry, it seemed that woe would befall him, for another week passed and the fateful day arrived.

Stood out in the front hall, cleaning the large mirror while muttering to himself, Harry heard the telling sounds of a hoofs on the road. A voice soon confirmed his suspicions when someone shouted, "Mail coach is here!"

A smile bloomed onto Harry's face. Though it was not James himself, surely the mail would have something from his father.

He hurried to clean the last of the reflective surface and soon raced to the front door, opening it as he heard feet shuffling behind him, telling him that his step-relatives had also arrived to see what mail there was.

Harry reached out and opened the large wooden door and saw an older coachman delivering something to Ted, one of the gardeners. Confused, Harry watched the man mutter something and Ted's face shift from curiosity to worry. The mailman gave a nod and as he soon departed, Ted nervously shifted to look upon Harry.

Ted finally began walking towards where Harry still stood within the doors archway. Harry spotted a single envelope tenderly held within the mans weathered hands and when he finally reached Harry, he simply handed over the envelope.

Hesitant, Harry slowly reached for it and once he did, he saw that Ted still held the other end.

"I'm so sorry Harry," Ted began, "but James has passed on. An illness took him on the road. His only request was for this letter to reach you and his last thoughts were only about you. You and your mother." With that, Ted finally let go of the letter and stepped back, giving Harry space after hearing such news.

Lightheadedness stuck Harry. He felt as though he were within a dream and would float up into the sky at any moment. The edges of his sight seemed to darken by the minute until everything blurred from tears forming.

He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

"But what about our gifts?" Astoria asked out of know where, breaking Harry out of his bubble.

The shock that flooded Harry left him at those words but he had no time for the emotion to shift into anger at what she had said. He turned back to look at her and spotted her standing in-between Narcissa and Draco in the middle of the hallway.

"Can't you all see that it doesn't matter anymore?" Narcissa interrupted her daughter. "Nothing else  _matters anymore_ ," she nearly shouted, "we're  _ruined_ ," she said at last before she hurriedly left the hall and ran up the stairs. The sound of her bedroom door slamming soon told everyone where she went. Draco and Astoria traded a look before they too walked away as though they were told the weather forecast.

A ringing started to begin in Harry's ears and as he turned back to face Ted, he almost did not hear the older man speak again.

"I am sorry for your loss, lad. Truly, I am. James was an amazing man and father."

Harry took a gulp of air and swallowed before answering, "Yes, thank you Ted. It must have been hard on you to deliver such news."

The devastated look on the other mans face was the last thing Harry saw before he slowly shut the front door with a soft  _click_.

With the door closed, Harry turned around and let his back fall against the sturdy piece of wood. He clutched the envelope tightly to his chest with both hands as he felt something finally begin to stir within him. A choked cry finally escaped his mouth and as his eyes began to overflow with tears, Harry felt himself slowly slump to the floor, still leaning back against the front door as his only support.

A hand came up to cup his mouth, trying his best to stop the agonizing sounds that wanted to escape. Shaking wracked his entire frame and all too soon, the tears finally began to fall down his cheeks and land upon his hand, his clothes, and the envelope.

With the raw emotion not leaving anytime soon, it was pure willpower that made Harry finally begin to open the envelope with shaky hands.

He peeked inside when he felt the weight of the envelope and noticed something shine within. He tilted the envelope upside and down and the object fell out.

Right away, the small, silver chain fell from within and landed on his lap. Harry picked it up to observe that it was a necklace. A bust of a silver stag hung from the end and it had quite the peculiar antlers. Harry stared at it in wonderment before he hastily pulled it over his head and let it lay gracefully on his chest.

He admired how it hung for a moment before he turned back to the envelope and spotted the letter within.

Harry carefully pulled it out and unfolded it. The familiar handwriting brought another wave of agony to Harry before he forced himself to take a deep breath to calm himself down even if just slightly. Finally prepared to read his fathers last words, Harry then begun.

.

* * *

.

_My dear, beloved Harry,_

_Where to begin – that is always a hard question to answer. As it was however, I suppose it began when I first started my merchant travels, all the way back before you were even born._

_Traveling along the road is always a difficult aspect of any occupation. Wars may stop routes, political troubles may disrupt certain paths, and even illness may strike those that traverse the lands._

_I do not know what may come of me this month, but I will do my duty and write this letter as usual. Yes Harry, if you have not caught on yet, though you are a clever one, so I suppose you have, I write these letters every time that I leave home for the dangerous unknown. You never know when your last day is upon you and as a precaution, I had always written a letter to your mother and now, I write to you. These letters are always started the first day after my departure and I regularly update them throughout the month, filling the letter with the kind of nonsense that I know you love._

_I know that you may be curious to know about past letters, but I must confess that every time I arrive home, I burn these letters. You see Harry, these are only written with the intention that I do not come home to you. So, if you are reading this, then I have perished in my latest travels._

_I am so very sorry that you must read that but know that I write these with you always on my mind. I love you Harry._

.

* * *

.

Harry then noticed that the ink changed from then on to various types of messy scrawl and different colors of ink as well. It was James writing what was on his mind at that moment in time before he tucked the letter away only to begin another section later in his travels when something once more caught his attention.

.

* * *

.

_**A storm came upon us this evening. There was quite the thunder with plenty of frightening lightning as well! Though I suppose I enjoyed the jumps my companions and I would get from the sound.** _

A strange old woman and who I observed to be her grandchild were selling apples along the road. I bought several and I must confess that they were the sweetest apples that I have ever tasted!

**I finally came upon my first town that I set up shop in. I sold quite a few of my wares though I am embarrassed to say that I had a coughing fit at one moment and it scared off a few older ladies who glared at my apparent 'lack of manners'. At least that was what I heard them mutter.**

_The road sure was quiet today though unbearably hot. I was sweating so much that I thought I might pass out! Once we rested for a bit, I was surprised to hear from my companions that they did not think the weather was as bad as I thought it to be. Odd._

_**Out first major city for this trek is a sight to behold, Harry. You would love it. I also believe that I have found your gift. A curious little necklace with a stag on it. The silver is quite striking, and I am sure it to be genuine as well. The real reason I chose it for you is that I am enraptured by the antlers on the creature. They remind me of the lightning storm I was in at the beginning of my travels. Yes, I love the little thing and I am sure that you will as well, Harry.** _

I am worried, Harry. I awoke to a coughing fit this morning and when I pulled my handkerchief away, it contained some blood. My companions are worried as well and we have decided to hold off on our next destination and instead hope to find a doctor.

_**Harry, our hopes in searching for a doctor have not been fruitful and as the days pass, I worry that this may be my last letter I write to you. I worry that this is the letter you read. I pray that the next time that I write will be when I am better, but just in case, I must tell you something.** _

_**I love you son. Truly, I do, and I hope you know just how much. A father never wishes to die in such a way, away from their family, but with my line of work, I simply must be realistic. I know that Narcissa is a rather… strong woman, but please, for my sake, take care of her in my stead. As for yourself, my son, take care as well. Find the love and happiness that I know you deserve. I obviously hope that you never read this and that my illness will pass but the days are coming and going, and no doctors have crossed our paths. I do not know what ails me and for that, I worry.** _

_**I have placed the necklace alongside this letter just in case. Please Harry, do not mourn for me too long should I leave you. Know that I will be with Lily, looking over you from above. I love you Harry, so** _ **very** _**much. So much…** _

.

* * *

.

Completing the letter only did so much to make Harry feel better. A steady trail of silent tears continued to fall form his face.

Though Harry wanted nothing more than to crumple the parchment, he made sure to fold it as neatly as he could, in between his chokes and hiccups, for it held the last words from his father.

With the letter carefully placed out of the way, Harry finally brought his knees up to his chest and placed his face upon his folded arms and let the grief finally overwhelm him.

Sobs and cries continued to echo throughout the hallway as a young man no older than sixteen now mourned the death of two parents. No one was around to hear the weepings of the lost teen and the space around him seemed all the bleaker because of it.

**End Chapter Two**


	3. Elske

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the third chapter and we are finally getting into the good part! You know, where it actually starts to feel like a Cinderella story.

* * *

  _Sobs and cries continued to echo throughout the hallway as a young man no older than sixteen now mourned the death of two parents. No one was around to hear the weeping's of the lost teen and the space around him seemed all the bleaker because of it._

* * *

 With the news of James' passing, change quickly overtook Potter Manor.

Even though she was a cold woman who loved nothing more than spending every piece of silver and gold of the family fortune, Narcissa still made sure to spare no expenses when it came to James' funeral. It was a grand, mournful time and though plenty of people arrived to show their respects, Harry felt as if he was finally and completely alone in the world.

He tried to a give a speech but stopped halfway through when his voice began to halt from his held back tears. He eventually had to step away from the podium and was grateful to feel Neville's sturdy hands help guide him to a seat close by.

Before Harry knew it, the funeral was over, James was buried near his Lily, and soon, weeks passed once more.

In that time, the change that happened around poor Harry was almost too much to bear.

Narcissa, in all her selfish ways, began spending the rest of the Potter fortune, hiding her shame and sorrow behind bottles and bottles of the finest wine. And even the finest clothes befitting a widow of her standing.

Now that the elder blonde was the head of the house, her true colors shined, casting the rest of the household in nothing but darkness and shadows. She was ever so cruel to Harry and soon enough, she became cruel to almost everyone else as well.

Thankfully, for the household, the Lady's spending soon caught up to her and as Narcissa realized the error of her ways, she had to make decisions that would keep her and her two children from being left with nothing. Her final decision on the matter was the cuts in finances had to be made.

And so, one day in late summer, Narcissa dismissed the entire household from Potter Manor.

Though it was relief that had the workers happily packing their belongings, it was also a sad moment for the few of them that realized young Harry would be left alone in the woman's web.

With no other option for Harry since he was not yet old enough to leave her, having only just recently turned seventeen, they knew that nothing could truly be done for the betterment of the young lad. Instead, he would simply have to wait for one more birthday to pass before he could finally be free from the cruel woman.

At last, the day came when the household were to officially leave the Potter grounds for the last time.

Harry was depressed to see them depart, but he knew deep down that this was for the best.

If they were to finally leave and be free of working under a woman such as Narcissa Potter, Harry would be all too happy to ensure it. The young raven was truly devastated to see everyone go, and there was a specific individual that would be even harder for Harry to see off.

Neville Longbottom had been a good friend of Harry's for almost his entire life. He had come to live on Potter grounds when the two of them had been no more than five years old. A bond had quickly formed and ever since, the two of them truly felt as though there were no social barriers between the two. To see the last remining person from his previous life finally leave him was unbearable to Harry but he knew it was for the best.

Instead, he kept quiet about his worries for his own wellbeing and instead hugged Neville one last time.

Neville had made sure that he was one of the last workers to leave that day. He treated that morning like any other yet as soon as midday arrived, he knew that he would have to be ready to leave the grounds by that evening.

And so, Neville packed his belongings into a single case and soon found himself stood next to the front fountain, arms wrapped around the person he considered to be his closest friend, if not his brother.

At last, the two of them had to part. Neville made sure to keep his arms upon Harry's shoulders as he looked into bright green eyes.

Harry was not sure what the other was looking for as the other gazed at him, but whatever he saw was not what he wanted to for as quickly as the hug had ended, it began once more. It felt as though the previous embrace had meant nothing because the strength with which Neville wrapped his arms around Harry felt as though he never wanted to let go.

The brunet said nothing on the matter and yet Harry felt his eyes mist slightly, understanding perfectly what the other was saying.

He held onto Neville just as tightly.

When the two finally separated once more, Harry felt as though the world had ended as he watched the final carriage make its way past the front gates, taking the final member of his family away from him.

Upset, Harry made his way back into the manor and soon found himself in the main parlor. He sat upon a couch and slumped forward, cupping his head in his hands. Everything and everyone had finally left him.

A dip in the seat next to Harry was the only indicator that someone had joined him in the room. Startled, Harry looked up and was surprised to see Narcissa sitting next to him.

Very much confused and uncomfortable, Harry shifted around, trying to move just slightly away from her, towards the other end of the seating. If his step-mother noticed, she said nothing about it.

Instead, Narcissa said, "Oh Harry, I know that this will be a difficult thing to get over for you, but you simply must keep your chin up and look forward after it's all said and done."

Get over?  _Get over?_  How could she say such a cruel thing? He was never going to  _get over_  James' death – he never did about Lily's! And even if she was simply talking about the household having to be dismissed, he would not  _get over_  that as well. It was all her fault that they had to be let go in the first place.

The anger, starting out as just a small, dying ember, slowly grew as he felt the hot, angry flames flare up as he thought about every person that he had just lost in two short months.

Harry's internal feelings must have bled up to the surface as at once, Narcissa glared at him. Harry then felt the wrinkles in his brow from his forming frown and quickly tried to smooth his face into a neutral expression.

But the damage had already been done.

"What's with that look, boy?"

"Noth-nothing Step-mother. I am terribly sorry, I did not mean to give you such a look. I was simply thinking about father is all."

She gave a small sneer at him and his answer, "Yes, well I better not see it again. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Step-mother."

"Good. Now, I came to you, Harry, tell you some important things." When Harry gave a simple nod in understanding, she continued, "Because your father, may he rest in peace, did not have as large of a fortune that he thought the Potter's previously had, we now must be a frugal family – that is why I had to dismiss all the workers. You understand, don't you?"

Teeth and fists clenched tight, Harry said nothing and sat perfectly still for fear of lashing out at the older woman. She must have taken his silence as acceptance, for she spoke once more after a short pause.

"We no longer have a chef, a gardener, a housekeeper, and all the other workers that lived on the grounds. But that is the problem I'm sure you have noticed. We can no longer afford to hire such people, but we still live on such lands that need those jobs to be done. And so, I have come to you with these instructions."

Dread filled Harry. He realized where she was leading the conversation and as she spoke her final words on the topic, Harry felt defeat for what felt like the last time.

"It is now your duty to take care of this house. You are to be a chef, a gardener, a housekeeper, and do all the other odd jobs that it takes to run a house of this size and grandeur. Of course, I will have my two wonderful children help you where they can, but I am sure that you would prefer to do more of the work yourself, wouldn't you? This is your ancestral home after all."

Once more, Harry could say nothing to her words. The manor was now hers and if she commanded Harry to take care of it, he could do nothing but obey her command. He looked down at his lap where his fists rested and could only give a small nod of acceptance.

"Good, I am glad that we are on the same page then. Why don't you start today – you can go take care of the garden and pick out something for dinner tonight." With that, Narcissa stood from her seat and headed for the door. Once she reached for the handle, she turned to Harry once more, "Oh, and before I forget, you no longer need to call me step-mother."

Confused, Harry finally looked up from his lap towards the older woman. Not call her step-mother? He would  _certainly not_  call that woman mother.

"Madam will do," she finally said.

_Oh._  Of course. Narcissa had always seemed offended by the title of step-mother ever since she walked off the carriage a year ago. Though Harry felt awful calling the woman that title ever since she had married his father, this felt worse. It was as though it was another obstacle that she was placing in between them, furthering the gap of being family.

Taking a gulp of air to clear his head, Harry finally responded with a, "Yes, Madam."

Narcissa gave a satisfactory nod at his response and then swiftly left the room. The silence in her wake was deafening and made Harry feel lonely once more.

Though she had said she instructed her two children to help where they could, it had obviously been a lie for Harry never once spotted either of the two Malfoy children doing anything even remotely akin to housework. Harry did not bother with trying to complain about such a thing for he knew that his words would fall on deaf ears.

And so, Harry was left to do all the work. This was a good thing for it distracted him from his grief. At least that was what Narcissa said. Once the two learned of the new development, Draco and Astoria were all too happy to give him plenty and  _plenty_ of different distractions.

From then on, his step-mother and step-siblings ever misused him. Days turned to weeks and even months seemed to pass by. The three Malfoy's slowly but surely begun considering Harry less a member of the family, and more a servant. It seemed to be official once the day came when Draco and Astoria had their loudest argument yet.

The two siblings had been bickering over the unfairness of it all that the two of them had to still share a bedroom.

Easily overhearing their words, and by no means considering it eavesdropping due to the volume, Harry learned that the two of them had shared a bedroom all their life, granted the room had previously been so large that one could have talked at one end and another person at the other end would not have heard a single word.

Their squabble soon got to be so loud, that Narcissa finally arrived to see what the ruckus had been about.

She listened to their woes with a faint nod, though Harry could tell that even she could care less about their petty argument. It appeared that the two siblings had this fight every once in a while, and would eventually make up in due time.

Unfortunately, Narcissa noticed his observing of the three of them and she gave a small glare as she walked toward him.

"What's with that grin, boy?"

That was another thing that Narcissa had soon grown fond of – addressing Harry as "boy" and never his name.

"Nothing, Madam. It's just, I could not help over hearing…" Harry paused, not knowing what to say to make the moment pass without the consequence of an extra workload. "I know that it might not be much, but I realize that perhaps the two are arguing about their arrangements because they are either sex. Perhaps it would be best of Astoria had a room to herself."

"Oh? And where would that room be. Do you see an extra around here or do you expect my only daughter to sleep with the pigs at night?"

Knowing a rhetorical question when he heard one, Harry ignored the last comment and instead said without thinking, "What about my own room? She can have that one and since we are both males, Draco and I-"

"What a wonderful idea! That's the best thing you have said for a while now. She can have your room and you can take the attic!"

"The attic?"

"Yes, only for a day or two, really. It will give us time to move all the furniture around. Oh, this is such a wonderful idea. I simply must go tell them the news." With that, Narcissa simply turned her back on Harry and headed for her loud children who were still screaming in each other's faces.

Harry was left standing in the middle of the hallway, shocked at what transpired and what the outcome had just been.

.

* * *

.

True to her word, Harry soon found himself living in the attic. Residing at the top of the Potter Manor tower, it was by no means a comfortable space with the howling wind running through the gaps of rotting wood and the chill that felt like a constant within the circular room.

When Draco and Astoria heard the news about the new living arrangements, the two had cackled in glee at Harry's misfortune. All to happy to have their bedrooms the way they wanted, they rushed between Harry's old room and the one the two of them currently shared, carrying various objects out from Harry's and placing Astoria's things in there instead.

Once he was finished with his morning chores, Harry was shocked to return to the hall to see most of his belongings already lined up against the wall near the door the lead up to the tower.

To see the physical evidence of Narcissa's decision made Harry feel slight disappointment though it faded quickly once he reminded himself who he was thinking about. Of course, she had meant every word she had said.

Giving a reluctant sigh, Harry got to work, bending down to pick up a few of the lighter boxes and headed for the door. Already struggling with opening the doorknob while holding so much weight, Harry felt his face warm as laughter from not too far away distracted him, and the boxes tumbled from his arms.

He turned to see the siblings peering from the doorway leading into Draco's room. From the crack in the door where their ogling eyes were, Harry would see how much more space there seemed to be once the bedroom only held the belongings of one spoiled Malfoy.

Trying his best to ignore the two of them, Harry squatted down onto his heels and started piling his things back into the boxes. Once it was done, and making sure the tower door was already open, Harry made the trek up the long, winding stairs and finally made it to the attic that was up above.

Once he opened the door to the room that would be his for the foreseeable future, Harry stopped in shock.

He had rarely ever been up here growing up because his mother worried that it was not safe while his father simply said it was not worth coming up due to the aging wood and the objects being up there either old fashioned or simply broken.

Now, Harry stood within the doorway and was greeted to the sight of a packed room. Everything was covered with different types of cloths and sheets to keep the dust away, yet the silhouettes still told of what lay beneath them – plenty of chairs and tables.

"Well, no one shall disturb me here," Harry said to himself, realizing that none of those stuck up Malfoy's would be caught dead in a dusty place like this. This thought brought slight comfort to Harry for it made him see a silver lining in his new predicament. If he had to live in a cold and dusty place such as this, at least he would finally have a bit of peace at night from flashy parties and snoring the three of them made.

Though the sight was not when he had been expecting, Harry still walked around the room, taking everything in. Finding an old mattress at the far end of the room, Harry pulled it down and set his boxes down, happy to finally relieve the weight from his arms. Harry walked around once more after that, taking the sheets and cloths off various objects to inspect what they were underneath.

The constant shifting of everything had begun to scatter the layers and layers of dust that had been building on top of the fabrics. The thick cloud that had formed caused Harry to begin sneezing and have coughing fit, that he finally raced over to one of the only two windows within the room.

Once open, Harry was happy to take in gulps of fresh air to ease his lungs.

After he collected himself, Harry allowed himself to look up and was amazed at what he saw.

The view from atop the tower was simply amazing. Rolling hills of green grass went on forever, only stopping near the horizon where land met sea. Off to the right of the coast, Harry spotted the castle where the royal family lived. Harry had always known that Potter Manor rested close to the southern border, far away from the rest of the small country, but this felt like the first time that Harry realized that his father's words had been true.

Though he knew it to be the castle due to its colorings and shape, it still seemed like a small speck on the horizon, hidden by distance and forest. In-between the grand building and where he stood, Harry took notice of the villages that sprinkled the land. Square patches of farmland graced the rest of what he could see past tall trees.

It was indeed the most beautiful sight that Harry had ever seen, and he wanted to stay there forever, gazing in wonder upon the place that he called home.

Yet, work still had to be done and so, Harry turned away from the scene to face his new bedroom once more.

Getting to work, Harry begun taking down the rest of the sheets and folding most of them to place in a corner of the room, taking a few of them to use for sleeping.

Eventually coming to an overturned nightstand, Harry slipped it right-side up and jumped back, startled at what he saw. Underneath were the same mice that he had known growing up. The scattered after he had disturbed their home, but before they hid once more, Harry had noticed one with a spot on its ear, confirming for Harry that they were indeed the same mice from long ago.

"Oh! You guys scared me there," Harry said after he let the shock leave him. "Come on out you guys. Please? I promise it's just me. You remember me, right? Harry?"

By then, the raven-haired youth had knelt and held a hand out towards the nightstand. After shifting the object around to stand up-right, the little critters had scrambled to hide underneath it once more.

Encouraged by Harry's soothing voice, four mice carefully crept from underneath the piece of furniture and headed for Harry's hand.

With a real smile forming on his face for the first time since James passed and Neville had left, Harry kept still until all four had finally climbed onto his palm before he stood.

"Well hello there, little fellas. I haven't seen you four in such a long a time! I must say that I am quite impressed that you are still around in fact. Though please understand that I am not trying to insult you four, I am just stating that I was unaware that mice as small and lovely as all of you would have such a long lifespan," Harry said with a smile and teasing nod of his head.

The mouse with a spot on its ear seemed to make a short squeak that spoke of acceptance to his words. It rubbed his face into Harry's thumb and then closed it eyes as though smiling. The other three stood behind him seeming to be as accepting of Harry as the spotted one was. They all kept their noses twitching and smelling everything around them, letting their large whiskers wiggle back and forth.

It made Harry giggle at the ticklish feeling and he bent down once more to let the four little things climb off and onto his bed covers. He sat down as well and continued to talk to them as he let himself rest for a moment.

While Harry had a surprise visit from past friends, downstairs, Draco and Astoria had been moving the rest of Harry's things out of his previous room and into the hall.

They had turned back to head into the bedroom once more when they had heard Harry's voice. The two looked at each other in confusion before they creeped up to the door that lead to the towers stairs.

Draco made sure to keep quiet when he opened the door and at once, the two of them were greeted to a clearer version of Harry's voice from up above. He and Astoria looked back at one another in shock as their ears picked up what sounded like a conversation. When it seemed like the raven was done speaking to himself, the two siblings began whispering to each other.

"What a loon! Has he always talked to himself?" Astoria finally asked when it seemed like Harry was done holding a one-sided conversation.

"I do not know, and I do not think that I care. Either way, we truly have a crazy one for a step-brother."

"I've got two," Astoria says as she continued to look up through the circling stairs, trying to get a peek at what Harry might be up to.

Draco turned from looking up as well to give her a small glare before he grabbed her and headed back out. "Come on, I want to get out of here before I catch whatever he has."

"And so that we can take the rest of his things out of the bedroom and move my things in!" Astoria replied, happily following her elder brother once his words caught her attention.

Though Draco and Astoria had no idea what Harry was up to up there, they knew better than to try climbing all those stairs themselves. Not in a million years would either of the two be caught dead sweating from having to climb to long. Instead, the two were happy to imagine what loony Harry was up to in the tower everyday when he was not working to take care of the manor.

**End Chapter Three**


	4. Sevgi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone curious about the prince and his family? Well then here you go!

* * *

_Though Draco and Astoria had no idea what Harry was up to up there, they knew better than to try climbing all those stairs themselves. Not in a million years would either of the two be caught dead sweating from having to climb to long. Instead, the two were happy to imagine what loony Harry was up to in the tower every day when he was not working to take care of the manor._

* * *

Across the small kingdom of Gryffindor, far from where Harry and the Malfoy's lived in Potter Manor, sat the grand castle where all kinds of lords and ladies lived alongside the king and his family.

The royal family that had ruled over the kingdom for the last few centuries was house Weasley. Currently ruling from the Paternal lineage, King Arthur had grown up as the crown prince, marrying his lovely wife Princess Molly from a neighboring kingdom that was just as charming and just as small.

Having sat on the thrown since he had turned twenty-eight, King Arthur knew that it was due time that his eldest child, William, inherit the throne.

As was tradition, the eldest child of the ruling family was to be the next in line by the time that they were thirty years of age. In this sense, it had been agreed upon that for one to fully grasp what it meant to rule a kingdom, one must be no younger than twenty-five. In doing so, it then forced the one in line for the throne to have a five-year period in which the heir can ascend to the throne as well as being the five-year period in which they  _must._

If this ruling could not be met by the one who was first line, then would fall onto the second in line and so forth.

In King Arthur's case, he had easily taken the thrown three years into the five-year countdown, already happily married to his wife and taking care of three young children.

Another tradition that had swept upon neighboring kingdoms and that had soon found its way to Gryffindor, was for the next in line to be wed before they should be crowned. It was after all important for a king to have a queen by his side. Though King Arthur seemed to accept this newfound ruling, it was his wife, Queen Molly, that did not agree with these terms.

Though she understood the importance of having an heir, she did not believe that forcing her eldest to marry before he could be crowned king was beneficial to anyone. It would certainly be tiring on William to have to study the means of becoming a king while also worrying about finding a princess to wed and then produce a child with.

Queen Molly simply longed for her children to find love as she had with her king husband. Though theirs had been arranged as most royal families were, she had been lucky enough to fall in love with Arthur later in life.

That was Molly's only wish – for her children find love in a marriage to last a lifetime. Though she knew this wish of hers would be a challenging task, considering who her children were.

Even though a ruler only needs one child to be produced from the king and queen, Arthur and Molly had both longed to have a large family with plenty of small feet pattering along the stone floors of the grand castle that they called home. And so, they had.

The Gold Castle, fondly nicknamed The Burrow by house Weasley, was soon graced by seven, wonderful children whose laughs echoed through the ancient walls, filling the otherwise quiet space with bright and hopeful emotions. Though they knew that having several children would be quite the task to take on, the king and queen had been all too happy to accept the challenge.

Their eldest son, Prince William Weasley (though he preferred to be addressed as Bill much to Molly's chagrin) was a young man of twenty-seven who loved nothing more than learning what it meant to rule. Very much like his father in looks, though he shared both of his parent's orange hair, Bill was a man that held a strong face and a strong personality.

He loved to use his mornings honing his skills of the sword in the training barracks, his afternoons reading and learning what it meant to rule in the large library, and the late evenings spending time with his younger siblings in the parlor.

King Arthur was very much pleased to learn that his eldest acknowledged his future as a monarch and the king would even go so far as to say that Bill enjoyed the studies of what it meant to be a person in such a position.

Thus, when it came to their six younger children, the king and queen were all too happy to see them build a life of their own, growing into their own personalities and without the burden of a monarchy resting upon their shoulders.

Ready to accept whatever path they chose for their life, be it a refined scholar or a brave knight, the king and queen felt blessed to have such strong and intelligent children that would see their kingdom grow and prosper into the next generation.

.

* * *

 .

Within the grand castle, hidden away in one of the smaller libraries, the third Weasley prince could be found tucked in a corner of the room, hidden behind a rather large tome. He was so engrossed with what he was reading, that he did not hear the telling signs of another set of footsteps within the room.

In fact, it was more than one set of footsteps for it was the fourth and fifth Weasley princes, preparing to sneak upon their elder brother.

Still unnoticed, the two mischievous brothers were all too happy to jump from behind the seated prince, yelling out loud to scare the eldest. It worked as planned and the third prince, one of the more refined of the Weasley's, gave a shriek in shock and fright and jumped from his seat, letting his precious book drop from his lap and onto the floor. He turned around to see what had scared him and his wide, fearful eyes were quick to turn to anger and irritation at the cause of his scream.

"Do you two idiots not have anything better to do?" The third prince finally asked as he stooped down to retrieve his book, flipping it this way and that, looking for bent pages. While he tried to will away the annoyance at having morons for younger brothers, he also tried to will away a furious blush that had crept upon his cheeks from giving such a reaction to their antics and their continued roaring laughter at his expense.

"Oh, I'm sure we do, Percy, but would it be as fun and eventful as what we just did? I don't believe so," the fourth prince said after taking in gulps of air to stop himself from cackling.

"Sorry Percy, but I have to agree with George on that one! Of course we probably have something important to attend to but I know that it would be  _boring_ ," the second brother said. "Besides, you can't fault us for doing that to you just now – it was too perfect a set up!"

With a huff and roll of his eyes, Percy sat back down in his chair, knowing very well that with their scare taken care of, they would most likely not perform another joke at his expanse for at least another hour or two.

Correct in his assumption, he noticed the two eventually calm down enough to sit down in the other chairs across from him. "Well you've had your fun now Fred, so how about you try to act a little more like your age and do whatever you need to do to be a responsible prince."

Percy continued to watch his two younger brothers shift around in the large, fluffy chairs, trying to get comfortable while trying to look as undignified as possible.

"Responsible?" Fred asked, "Sorry to say Percy, but the only responsible people around here are you and Bill. I would usually put Charlie in with you two snobs, but he's been a little more fun to be around recently so…" he trailed off with a shrug of his shoulders as though that was the end of conversation.

"Well you can't fault Bill for being a bit of a snob recently," Percy admitted to the raised eyebrows of his brothers.

"I know very well  _why_  he is being like that, but it doesn't mean we have to like it," Fred replied.

A silence soon fell over the three as Percy tried to go back to his book. From his peripheral, he could still see George and Fred shifting around in their seats and mumbling to each other. Annoyed at their hushed voices, Percy finally closed the book around a finger as a bookmark.

"Do I get the pleasure of knowing why you two are here?"

"Are we not allowed to be in the same room as the high and mighty Percy?"

The eldest of the three rolled his eyes, "Of course you do, but I am reading in here, hoping for some quiet. But I suppose I can spare a minute to talk to you two if you would simply ask me."

Fred gave a laugh. "Sorry, Perc, I was just messing with you. I just thought it would be a little bit of fun to see what you were up to – don't think we got to see much at all today or even yesterday."

"We were just curious," George chimed in.

"Well, if you must know, I have been catching up on a few of the more obscure laws. You both know that I have been thinking of becoming an advisor to Bill."

"We know, Percy. Though, I would call it more of a hope than a thought. We know you too well." George said with a twitch of his mouth as he leaned further back into his chair.

"Oh shut it. And that means you too Fred you could never keep a quiet laugh even if it could save you." Though his words held a bit of a bite, the red that grew upon his nose and cheeks told the twins what he really thought, and it made the fading grins come back.

A comfortable silence fell between the three brothers after that. Fred had begun to doze off in his chair, slumped sideways over the great piece of furniture while George simply gazed out the large window that was nearby. The sun was not quite ready to set, but the sky was finally changing from the clear blue into the first shades of yellow and orange gradients.

Percy had gone back to his tome and every time he turned the pages of the thick parchment was like a regular tone that helped to keep the peaceful nature of the air in the room.

George soon followed his twin into the land of dreams and with no one around to see, Percy let a content smile warm his face as he looked up to see the slumbering princes. Patterned breathing soon filled the room as well and Percy was content to let them rest until they would be summoned for dinner.

.

* * *

 .

The seventh and youngest child of the king and queen was the only princess of the entire group and consequently, she was fondly called a spoiled little thing by all her elder brothers. Though she did not let the riches of her life go to her head, knowing that she was fortunate to be born into her status, she also did not let such a life style go to waste.

With long hair braided in the latest fashion and jewels decorating her ears and neck, she was a young woman of refined taste.

Currently, the princess could be found in the farthest reaches of the East Wing. It was the side of the castle that held their bedchambers but on a different floor than she was currently on for Princess Ginevra was sneaking around a lower floor of the large castle. She and her elder brothers George and Fred had always loved exploring every nook of their home ever since she could remember.

The three of them would usually be the troublemakers of the Weasley brood, finding trouble wherever they went within the never-ending castle.

Today however, the twins had other business to attend to and so, Ginny had dragged the sixth and youngest son, Ronald, with her on her adventure for the day.

Ronald had, for the most part, groaned and moaned about having to follow his baby sister around but as they trekked farther and farther into the mysterious basement, he found himself admitting in the recesses of his mind that he was perhaps a bit intrigued about where his sister was taking them. That did not stop him, however, from being progressively nervous and wanting to leave quickly.

"Look Gin, as much as I am curious about where this might lead us, I would rather start heading back up right about now," the prince said as he carefully stepped over a piece of rubble before turning back to help his sister over the obstacle. Ginny gave a glare at his hand before accepting it once she gathered bunches of her dress in the other.

The Burrow was their ancestral home for the better part of three centuries, but it was still an old castle that was not completely well kept. Lower levels such as where the two youngest Weasley's now stood was simply not looked after as well as other parts of the palace.

Instead, it had been left alone and to be explored by the more curious people that lived within.

"Oh Ron, have a backbone, would you? It's not like were in any real danger down here. Well, maybe you might get a twisted ankle if you trip over some of these stones, but-" Ginny cut herself off when she heard a small shriek behind her. Scared for the safety of her brother, she turned to see what the matter was, but stopped short at the sight.

Her panic left as soon as it had come, and the princess could not help herself to double over to rest her hands on her hidden knees as a laughing fit shook her frame.

Ron had walked into a large spiderweb and had contorted his gangly body into various positions as he tried desperately to remove the silk from his person.

The torch that he had been holding fell to the stone floor and rolled for a few moments before being stopped by another large pile of broken stone. Thankful that there was nothing flammable around the torch, Ginny turned to back her brother, giggles falling from her lips once more at the ungraceful sight.

"Ginny! Stop, this is  _not funny_!"

"Oh, yes it is! Ron, it's just the web, it is not as though there is a spider currently on you. Then again…" Ginny said as she walked around to his back to check.

"Don't say things like that! Dear lord, if there is a spider on me right now, I am going to, to do  _something_  though I don't know what. Just fall down a die right here probably."

"You sure know how to make it dramatic, Ron, I will give you that," the princess said from behind Ron. He tried turning his head to see why she was standing behind him for so long. He soon got his answer when she stepped forward with a small, grey spider that was the size of her fingernail, wiggling between her finger and thumb.

His already pale face seemed to lose the rest of the color, letting the various freckles on his face stand out though the fallen torch did not let much flickering light see enough of the dots that sprinkled his figure. A small squeak escaped from this throat as though his fright had taken away his voice. He hurriedly stepped back and away from the arachnid that his younger sister kept held in between her fingers.

Though he did not twist his ankle as Ginny had predicted, Ron did end up tripping over a smaller piece of rock and found his shoulder sinking into the wall behind him.

The odd sensation cleared his fearful mind and Ron turned to look behind him only to be shocked. His shoulder had indeed sunk into the wall. Or rather, his shoulder had pushed his weight against a single brick and it had been a type of secret key.

Right away, the sound of grinding stone against stone quieted his panic breath and Ginny's faint snickering.

The siblings looked to one another in amazement at their unexpected discovery.

Right away, Ginny rushed forward, heading further into the hall where the sound had originated from. Before following, Ron raced for the fallen torch and soon caught up to Ginny as she slowly crept down the dark hall. Should Ginny have asked him why he was so quick to follow, he would have replied saying that as the elder of the two, it was his responsibility to watch over her. Though, they both knew that he was equally as curious about their newfound discovery.

It did not take more than a few steps before they noticed a gap in the previously flat stone wall. It was a secret entrance into a tunnel that must have been abandoned for a long time.

They traded another look that consisted of raised eyebrows and frowns that turned smiles. A nod was given and soon enough, the youngest Weasley prince and princess found themselves in a secret tunnel.

For the most part, it was a long, boring tunnel that held nothing but spiderwebs and the occasional rat. A few wall scones decorated the hall and Ron eventually started lighting a few of them to see how far the hall went.

Still appearing never ending, Ron almost spoke up about heading back. He stopped himself once he noticed that the two of them were beginning to walk up at an incline.

With the tunnel finally becoming slightly more interesting, Ron kept quiet. He started to notice odd looking rectangles at the top of the right-hand wall the longer the two of them kept walking. It was difficult to make out what they were until he finally brought the torch close one.

There were a few metal bars that ran vertically across the entirety of the rectangles. Ron eventually realized that they were small grates. He was not sure for their purpose, but it was the only thing to occupy his mind as he kept walking as there was simply nothing else to look upon in the dank, old tunnel.

Ginny eventually made a small noise in the back of her throat in curiosity once the two spotted a strange hue of flickering light just a little further down from where they were.

The closer they got, Ron noticed that the light was flickering in the shape of thin, long lines, like the shape of the grates. Voices were also beginning to appear and become clearer as they got closer to the light. His suspicions were confirmed right away when the siblings found another grate that held the sounds of a crackling fireplace soon let them know the origin of the light. They soon peered into the room, curious to see where they were.

Ron felt himself give a small smirk at the fact that he was tall enough to look in while Ginny had to stand upon her toes to even look in.

The prince made himself pay attention however when he let the familiar voices fall over him.

Inside the room that Ronald and Ginevra found themselves peeking into from their secret location was a familiar sight. At least, it was slightly familiar. Their father's study was known to everyone in the Weasley house for they had all stood in the room one more than on occasion throughout the years.

Ron and Ginny could clearly make out the corner of the familiar desk that their father sat at, the large rug that was splayed out before the desk, and a bookcase that proudly stood in the left corner of the room, displaying more small paintings of the king's large family rather than books.

That was when Ron realized that they were looking at the room from a very low angle, almost as low as the floor itself.

It was a strange sensation all together – that he and his sister were secretly looking into their father's study at such an angle, standing in a decrepit, hidden tunnel that most likely ran throughout the entirety of the castle with the residents none the wiser.

The voices that they had previously been heard by the two of them were still talking and as Ron forced himself to pay attention, he also felt quite a bit guilty bout spying on his own father. He chanced a glance at Ginny to see what she thought but she was so engrossed with what was being said that she was practically pushing her face against the metal bars.

"… surely you agree with me on this matter. I do not wish to marry so quickly."

The words were said with such a passionate tone that it finally brought Ron back.

"Bill, I know that you are ready to be King, and I have found myself agreeing with your father on the matter now. There are circumstances to think about."

The two spying siblings could not see people speaking within the room, but they knew who was there very clearly regardless. Ron felt a bit uncomfortable about what he was listening in on. This was a matter concerning William the heir to the throne, not necessarily about Bill his eldest brother. He eventually turned and tried to grab Ginny's shoulder, ready to pull her back from their eavesdropping. She turned to look at Ron with a questioning look and he moved his head in the direction they had come from.

Ginny looked back once more into the grate before giving a sigh and nodding. She was about to turn around to head back down the tunnel but two stopped one they heard what was said next.

"I truly want you to be able to find someone to love," the queen spoke once more, "but you simply must inherit the throne soon. I do not want to see you trying to make excuses about waiting for the last two years to pass before you should become king. I know that you are ready, your father knows you are ready, and I believe you know as well. I do not know why you are hesitant to ascend, but you must. In fact, you will. The kingdom needs a healthy, young king now – a fresh start if you will. I love my Arthur deeply, but we are getting old."

Ginny and Ron traded a look again before they finally turned to the grate once more and listened in. While this talk was highly personal and private, they were royal family as well and deserved to hear what was being said. This was their home and kingdom as well even if they would never be the rulers.

"Mother, I understand that I am a bit older than most were when they became king and I also know that people my age already have a child of their own, but I have been a bit busy, if you two have not noticed, with learning about what it means to rule this kingdom."

There was a sigh that could have either been Bill's or their fathers.

"It hurts to acknowledge this, but we simply must be realistic with this Bill. Yes, it has always been a rule that to be the ruler of this kingdom, one must be no younger than twenty-five, but that does not mean that you can wait around longer than a few more years after that," their father the king finally spoke up into the conversation.

"We do not want to do this to you, Bill, but I fear that if we don't, you will not make the decision on your own." Molly added.

"Do what?" Bill asked in a wary voice.

There was another bought of silence in the room and it made Ginny frustrated that she could not see the people in the room and their expressions. She liked to think herself a great face reader, knowing exactly what people were saying without any words and turning any situation to her favor.

Then their mother finally spoke up after giving a sigh of her own. "From this day forward, I, Queen Molly Weasley, command that you, William Weasley, eldest son of King Arthur Weasley, ruler over the kingdom of Gryffindor, to be wed before your thirtieth birthday. From now until these next two years have passed, you are to find and wed a princess befitting your standing as the crowned prince. Only with this, can I hope that you understand the importance of where you stand. I know that you have accepted the slot you given in life and even want it, but you cannot wait any longer. You will find a wife, and you will become king."

"Mother! You can't mean this? I am glad to be king, you have my word, but it has taken all my life so far to become who I am today. Yes, I accept the responsibility of producing an heir of my own, but surely I need only do that after my eventual coronation?"

"Bill, I understand, but as I have said, your father and I are old. You must know that we will not be around forever. It might seem a bit selfish of us, but we want to see you crowned. Yes, it will happen eventually no matter what, but the two of us would rather  _see_ it than have you become king because we have died."

"Well what does marriage have to do what that? Honestly mother, I am not even interested in such a thing right now. Besides, I have six heirs already."

Ron and Ginny turned to one another in shock, clearing understanding what Bill meant by that.

"Oh Bill, please do be realistic."

"I am! You do not think that should I die before my time that Charlie or even Percy could not take my place?"

"That is not what I am saying, and don't you dare put words in my mouth!" Molly exclaimed.

"Now, now dear, it would be best for all of us to calm down for a moment," the king spoke once more, "Bill, I know that you have studied all your life like you said, but this is just another aspect of accepting you roll as heir. You may not like it, but we have thought about this for a long while. You are ready to be king and you need not wait two more years before taking the throne. You mother has spoken on the matter and now you must obey."

"I hope you are at least grateful that we are not choosing your bride for you. Instead of an arranged marriage like the other kingdoms, you are getting somewhat of a choice," Molly said.

"Oh yes, such a choice. It's not as though our neighboring kingdoms have ugly princesses," Bill said with what Ginny and Ron knew to be an eyeroll.

"That's enough of that, Bill!" Molly finally said in all but a complete shout. "You are to be king before the next two years go by and I better see a wife on your arm by then!"

The silence was deafening after that. There was a small sigh though again, Ron and Ginny could not tell who it was from.

Finally, three simply words were finally said, "Yes, your majesty."

The hidden prince and princess traded a final look before heading back down the secret tunnel. They had heard enough and even if they left before another conversation could pick up, the two felt that they had intruded long enough.

It was a lot to take in, what they had just heard, and they would rather go somewhere quiet and familiar to gather their thoughts before they would have to appear for dinner in a few hours.

.

* * *

 .

Evening soon arrived, and dinner was to be held shortly. Though most of the evening meals were held with various lords, ladies, and ambassadors that were currently within their lands, one day a week, the royal family shared a meal between just the nine of them.

Tonight was such a night and soon, the first member of the royal family arrived.

The queen, eager to sort out the finalities of the meal, arrived at the much more informal dining room to inspect the table arrangements. Once pleased with the choice of flowers for the meal, the color of the napkins, and checking over the silverware, she gave a content smile just in time to see her king arrive.

He walked up to greet his queen with a peck and happily pulled out her chair.

The king then sat to her right, at the head of the table and began small talk with his lovely wife, waiting for their unpredictable children to arrive in their own due time.

The first to arrive was their ever punctual third son, Percival, paying attention to his surroundings, but clearly distracted and eager to go back to the book that he held tucked under an arm. Close behind him was their first son, William, looking for all intents and purposes like the proper prince and heir he was raised to be. But the queen and king knew that he was still stewing over their conversation from not even two hours ago.

As he sat down, even Percy noticed the odd behavior of his elder brother but knew to keep quiet when Bill had such a look on his face.

He jumped once more at the feeling of a hand clamping down on his shoulder and Percy followed the hand up to an arm, a shoulder and eventually the face of his currently least favorite siblings as George once more tried to get a frightened reaction out of him. Frederik could be seen poking his head from over George's head with a smug smile at Percy's reaction to a simple hand being place upon his shoulder.

Percy gave a glare and continued to direct it at Fred as the twins too eventually found their seats.

Charles, the second eldest, eventually strolled in with a smile of his own. No one knew where he had been all day, but since no one had heard any complaints about what he had been up to, the king and queen were accepting of whatever Charlie got up to for most of the day – as long it did not interfere with his morning sword and archery practice, and knight drills that took up most of the afternoons.

Finally, Ronald and Ginevra were the last to arrive and though their faces were stone like, almost everyone in the room noticed the active thoughts that were swirling within their heads.

Ron took his seat without realizing it and Ginny made sure to walk around the large table, happy to give a peck in greeting to her elder brothers, her mother, and her father before daintily sitting at her own seat.

Once the king and queen, along with all children were finally seated, it looked as though a sea of burning fire lit up the room. It was quite the topic of rumors when it was discovered that all the princes and princess of the King Arthur and Molly Weasley inherited their red hair. Though most expected such a color to be nothing but a blinding and headache inducing shade, most people from all walks of life were surprised if they ever caught sight of a member of the royal family.

For while it was true that red hair was abundant in The Burrow, it was, for the most part, a savory type of red with most of the children having a mild, apple-like color gracing the crown of half of their heads and a deep, copper tone that settled on the other half of the family.

Napkins were placed upon laps and soon, a line of cooks and servants filed into the room, placing various dishes all-round the table.

Once plates were piled, everyone waited for the king to take his first bite and then the rest tucked in.

Sounds of silverware meeting dishes and cups settling on the table were the only noise present within the room for the first few moments.

Small talk eventually made its way through the line of people as everyone tried to fill their family in on their day, ranging from the much-expected studies to the trivial moments that they might have had. It was lighthearted though all could feel a bit of a tense atmosphere between their mother and Bill.

Knowing it would be best to leave that conversation alone at least for a few more days, Ginny made sure to speak of nothing that might hint at what she knew on the matter. Instead, she turned to her two typical partners in crime and asked them how their afternoon was.

Fred and George traded a look. They had forgotten that they had ditched their baby sister so that they could go hunting. Even after they had returned, they had not gone looking for her either instead hunting down Percy to see what he had been up to.

"Oh, you know Gin, same old. Fred and I were just wanting to catch up on our latest studies," George finished with a wink, hoping to plat off their lie with a half-truth.

She narrowed her eyes at the excuse, knowing that she could sometimes be a handful to even the more patient family members. "Well that is good I suppose, though I'm sure riding through the surrounding woods would be much more fun."

The twins seemed to simultaneously choke on their drinks at her words.

Brief laughter ran across the table at their act. Once their coughing was under control the two looked towards their sister in amazement and guilt.

Before either could try to explain their reasoning, Ginny simply gave a small smile of her own, "It's alright you two, I am not hurt. Wouldn't want to be a bad influence on you both by sneaking around so much, now would I?"

"Ginny!" the queen said in a tone that was more astonishment than anger, "What in the world have you been getting up to, young lady? I thought we talked about how much your mystery walks were unbefitting of a princess."

"Please mother, I could never be a  _proper_  princess. Who do you think I am? Besides, you can't fault me that much, I have six brothers for goodness sakes! There are simply no manners to be utilized when in the company of such, such"-

"Ginny," Molly said again, this time with a warning about what the young woman might say to finish such a thought.

"Sorry mother, but you know it's true. While we may be a royal family, we also know how to have fun once in a while and sometimes that can just get to be too much for the title 'prince' to stick."

Charlie laughed then, allowing himself into the conversation. "Very true Ginny!" he said as he raised his glass. Everyone except the king, queen, and Percy raised their own glasses in reply. Soon enough however, Charlie leaned over and begun nudging his younger brother, pushing his elbow into Percy's shoulder. The plan to be annoying worked and Percy eventually joined in after much whining from his other siblings, though a smile eventually made it to his lips after he finally joined in the impromptu toast.

"Anyways," Charlie said once he placed his drink down, "I was thinking about going on a hunting trip tomorrow, would any of you like to join me?" Charlie looked to the twins, knowing that it was one of their favorite pastimes.

"Sure thing, Charlie," George said, "I would love to. We tried going today but we were out there for an hour without spotting anything. It would be nice to try again." Knowing that they had been already caught ditching Ginny for the day, there was no longer a need to pretend that they had indeed been out.

"Sorry Charlie, but I think I'm beat," Fred gave his answer, "Think I will just do some extra sword practice tomorrow instead."

George looked over to his twin in concern. Though the two of them were their own persons with their own lives, the two of them still enjoyed spending their time together if they could help it. But Fred looked over once he felt the heat of Georges stare and gave a smile. George found himself smiling in return, content to understand that Fred really was just wanting to take a break and was not feeling unwell or trying to make a false excuse for some reason.

George then turned back to Charlie, "Well then it looks like it will just be us, that is, unless someone else want to join?"

He and Charlie looked across the dining table to see what everyone else thought. Receiving head shakes in the negative, Charlie said, "I guess your right George. Oh well, more fun for us then and  _when_ we have our catch for the day, we can come back to brag to everyone else, making them wish that they came with us."

"Great idea Charlie!"

More chuckling and laughing fell across the table at those words and once again, conversation began to drift into different directions and the entire Weasley clan was simply content to be in the presence of their large, wonderful family.

**End Chapter Four**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope it was a fun and interesting thing for you guys to see a change in perspective. I did first think to do a lot with only George, but then I thought it would be fun to write about the whole family so then I did, haha. There might be a few more chapters from their POV but don't worry, you'll see Harry next chapter.
> 
> Also, I case I have confused anyone with how much I talked about him this chapter, Bill is not who Harry will be with. It will be George. I just needed to write a lot about him and his position right now to get the plot rolling. (And award a cookie to anyone who knows where that plot is going though it is also kind of obvious if you know the story of Cinderella, I'm just changing it up a little to be unique.)
> 
> I also have a question for you! Not sure if you picked it up, but I never specified that Harry had a scar in this story. It was a very insignificant thing that I just never addressed but now I am thinking that it might be a fun dynamic to add in somewhere with him getting it later on. So now I ask you lovely readers this: Should I leave it alone and have it not mean anything and not be a part of the story, or should I have Harry get the scar due to something and have it play a role?
> 
> Also, it would mean a whole lot for me see what you reader think of my version of Cinderella. Please, if you have the time, a quick comment would mean a whole lot to me. Plus I also want to hear your responses to the scar question!


	5. حب

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now, at long last! It is the much awaited chapter that has what I know everyone has wanted!

* * *

_More chuckling and laughing fell across the table at those words and once again, conversation began to drift into different directions and the entire Weasley clan was simply content to be in the presence of their large, wonderful family._

* * *

That same evening, while the royal family ate their fill over a lovely evening meal, Harry could be found out in the garden, picking the last of the fresh vegetables. Winter was almost upon the small kingdom and it was time to bring in the last of the harvest and keep it well stored as they prepared for the snowy weather that would soon grace the lands.

It was indeed late autumn, but the setting sun still blazed in the sky, warming Harry as he was knelt over in the tilled soil. His knees ached from being bent for so long and his back felt as though he were in an oven.

It was tiring work, but the silence was welcoming.

The Malfoy’s stayed true to their awful ways and continued to pester and command Harry throughout the days. So, when Harry had work to do outdoors, he was content with the labor as it brought him peace being away from the loud individuals.

With a groan, Harry braced himself upon his knees as he stood from the garden soil and bent down to grab the final basket of fresh goods.

Once he entered the kitchen, he began washing the food and set it to dry.

His last task for the day was to make dinner and so, Harry began right away, happy to get it done so that he may eat as well. Ever since that afternoon in the parlor with Narcissa, Harry found himself understanding his place in the manor quite clearly.

One of the first things he did after that encounter was to guarantee that he never ate with the three Malfoy’s at meal times.

It kept him safe from their painful words and he was sure that they were not complaining about the change in seating either.

Just as Harry was turning off the stove and plating the hearty meal, he heard the ring of a bell. Rolling his eyes and giving a mutter of “I’m coming”, Harry hurried to place the garnish on each main course then firmly grasped the large tray with his thin arms and gave a huff as he tried to balance the weight of the tray.

He slowly made his way into the dining room to the second round of the small bell.

Narcissa held the dainty thing in two fingers, letting her pinkie rise as though it was much too heavy for her. She spotted Harry after swinging the object and gave a pleased grin once she spotted what he held.

“Took you long enough.”

“I’m sorry, madam, but I thought it would be best if I brought in the rest of the harvest now before an unexpected early frost took them.” He moved around the table, setting out the three courses and refilling their drinks before he stepped back once done, hanging the large platter underneath an arm.

She gazed at Harry with a neutral look and a single eyebrow raised that spoke of how much she cared for what he said. “I don’t need such petty excuses. If I ring for dinner, I expect to see if in front of me _after the first bell_.”

Harry folded his hands in front of him and looked towards the floor, “Yes Madam.”

“Good,” Narcissa gave a nod that Harry only just caught form the corner of his eye. “You may leave now,” she said as she waved a flimsy hand as though pushing him away, “and make sure you wash the dishes tonight. I don’t need the smell of leftover food clinging to the plates in the morning.”

“Yes Madam,” Harry said again. He gave the slightest of bows before he turned on one foot and headed back to the kitchen.

Once he was sure the he was hidden from their eyes, Harry hurriedly rushed to a pitcher and filled a glass with water. He gulped down the liquid and gave a sigh once he felt his stomach stop squeezing so tightly.

Finally filled with something so that the nausea he felt from hunger was slightly sated, Harry began preparing his humble meal.

It was by no means what the others were eating in the next room, but it was enough for Harry.

It hurt to no longer sit in the dining room, but Harry was content to gaze into the firepit in the kitchens as he slowly chewed on his bread. He ate the bread and at least tasted each vegetable that he had on his plate, but he always made sure to keep a bit of scraps towards the end.

Sure enough, like clockwork since the week had begun, Harry soon heard squeaking that came from his right. He turned to see the four mice scurry over from a small hole that was at just next to the stove.

The raven gave a breathy chuckle at their arrival and quickly slid off his stool and onto the hard floor. He brought his plate with him and began breaking apart the scraps even further, before he handed off each piece one by one to the small creatures.

“Hello Dahlia,” Harry said as he handed out the first piece of bread. “Hello Clover, hello Marigold, and hello Zinnia!”

After each mouse was well fed with bread, carrot, zucchini, and just a bit of pumpkin, he sat back on his heels, happy to see them dig into their own dinner.

His legs begun to shake in protest at even more strain on them from the day he had, so Harry finally sat down on the cold, hard stone, letting his legs spread at an angle. A pleased sigh left him then and he let another smile out as he watched his friends finish their share then begin to wash themselves as they rubbed their extremely tiny paws over their faces and whiskers.

It was an adorable sight and it made Harry feel a moment of happiness.

“You four would not believe the day I have had today!” Harry whispered as he begun his daily chat. “I seems like it was more than usual though I have no idea why. Perhaps it was the weather finally acting oddly like it does as the seasons begin to change from one to another. Either way, I am glad to be done after washing up their dishes. I sure know that I will fall asleep quickly tonight.”

As he spoke, Harry had been dragging his finger through the small build up of dirt that filled the kitchen.

It had been clean just this morning, but the back and forth walking that Harry had done throughout the day as he brought vegetables in from the garden also brought in the earth that nourished the food as it grew.

“I’ll have to add sweeping the floors to my list tomorrow,” Harry thought aloud to himself as he swiped away his drawing.

Another squeak brought his attention to his companions.

They were all stood in a line on their hind legs. A laugh escaped Harry at the sight. He did not know what they were doing, but he thought it was adorable regardless.

The spotted one that Harry had eventually named Dahlia raised its front paws. The act was an odd sight on a mouse, but the action seemed familiar somehow. Eventually, the other three mimicked the action and with four mice keeping their paws up, the familiarity finally came to the young man.

“Oh! Do you wish for me to lift you up?”

He did not wait for them to reply in their odd mouse way and simply brought his hand down to their level, palm up and ready for them to climb.

They did just that and Harry brought them up to his face. Clover was the first to rush forward and rubbed it’s face against the tip of Harry’s nose. The raven haired man wrinkled the protruding feature in reaction to the tickling sensation, but a pleased smile grew upon his lips regardless.

Dahlia, Marigold and Zinnia were all too happy to join in on giving Harry sweet little mouse kisses.

The various aspects of the situation were not lost upon Harry and he wound up in a giggling fit. The grin would not leave his face and tears soon welled up. He moved to wipe them away and Harry was not sure if they were in happiness or sadness.

The thought was sobering, and it brought the laughing to a stop.

There were a few squeaks in question, but Harry ignored them as he lowered his hand to let the mice off. They did so right away, seeming to sense the turn in Harry’s mood. They did not leave Harry’s presence however, and simply placed their paws upon Harry’s knee as the four continued to look upon their giant friend.

A single finger ran atop their small, silky heads. Harry smiled once more, but the five of them all knew that this time, the feature was nothing but a mask.

Harry gave a deep sigh as he tried to stand up once more from the ground, hearing a knee creak once he reached his full height.

He moved to the dining room then, assuming enough time had passed and the three of them had vacated their seats once they were done with the meal. Harry was correct in his guess and he went to collect their plates and utensils.

They were washed right away as instructed and once done, Harry spared a glance at the clock in the corner of the room. It had taken him longer to wash than he thought as he looked at the time and saw that it was almost eleven thirty.

Harry was completely exhausted.

Sometimes, he would be too tired to climb all the stairs to the attic and it would just be too cold. Tonight happened to be one such night for when Harry found himself at the door to the attic, a shiver ran down his body as the cold air from above in the tower was already crawling down the stairs and chilling the base of the manor. The thought that it would only be colder up where his bed was made Harry reluctant to take another step forward.

A thought passed through his mind and he looked behind towards the kitchens.

He bit his lip wondering what he should do.

He came to a decision and Harry soon found himself back in the kitchens and in front of the fireplace.

Finding a sack of flour that was half full, he grabbed it and placed it down on the floor and he soon followed the object, groaning in protest when he felt the hard floor beneath his bottom. Harry then rested his head upon the sack and felt embarrassment at what he was doing. Sleeping on the dirty kitchen floor! But the warmth that slipped into him as he continued to lie in front of the crackling fire soon overtook another thought. The feel of the tough stone beneath his body and howling of the wind outside meant nothing to Harry as he felt himself drifting off soon enough.

.

* * *

 .

The next morning, Harry awoke suddenly to the ringing of the small bell.

It was startling and for a moment, Harry was utterly confused as to where he was and what he was doing. The situation soon caught up to him however, and the reality settled in.

Then the ringing reminded him of what he ought to be doing when he heard the chime. He scurried off the floor and ran around the kitchen, grabbing a loaf of bread, jam, a few fruit selections, and pouring a jug of juice. He rushed out to serve the sparse selection and did not spot the looks he got from all the Malfoy’s as he was too distracted with making sure he was not reprimanded for being late or for bringing out such flimsy breakfast items first.

“Just a moment please Madam, the water is still boiling for your tea,” Harry muttered as he walked speedily back into the kitchen.

He spared himself a moment to give a big sigh to calm his rattled nerves before he moved about once more, this time at a slower pace as he placed a kettle on the stove and begun preparing warmer selections of food for the three to choose from as he cracked a few eggs into a pan.

Once he completed a few over easy eggs, a platter of crêpes, and of course the tea, Harry once more carried it all on a large platter and made his way back to the dining room.

He made his way around the long table, stopping to deposit one of each in front of them. He felt heat from their eyes watching his every move. It was something that he had grown used to in the last few months, but it still made him want to run away and hide every time he knew they were watching him like a predator stalking their prey.

Once he placed the final saucer next to Astoria, Harry looked up, “Is there anything…else…?” He started to ask. He stuttered and stopped however, when the three seated continued to look upon Harry with various looks of curiosity and disgust.

“What in the _world_ is on your face?” Draco asked from across the table.

Harry hastily moved a hand towards a cheek in response. He felt nothing, though as he dragged a finger over a cheekbone, he did notice it felt a bit grainy.

A sharp laugh came from Astoria, “Good lord, is that _soot_? Oh, it is! He has cinders all over himself!”

She gave a sharp cackle at her own words and Draco joined in after saying, “What did you do last night, Potter, sleep in the fireplace?”

Harry did not respond though he felt immense embarrassment at hearing him guess so close to the correct answer.

He looked back and forth between them, not knowing what to do.

“Oh, do clean yourself up.” Narcissa spoke up. The sneer on her face was focused all on Harry. “I don’t want to choke on a bit of soot thanks to you.”

Harry then backed up a step and tried to wipe away the mess with his apron. When he pulled it back, it was covered in patches of gray. They had not lied.

“You really are a strange one, Potter.” Harry looked towards Draco again at being addressed, “I mean, who sleeps near a fireplace? You should be thankful you have a bed at all!”

“Yeah!” Astoria said. “And what about your nightly talks, huh? We’ve heard you talking to yourself on more than one occasion you know. You’re completely crazy!”

“You’re right, Astoria, he did talk to himself! Goodness, Potter, it’s like you’re some sort of freak. A freak that talks to himself and sleeps in the fireplace!”

“A freak! Ha!”

The two began another round of laughing at their own words. As for Harry, he felt as though is heart was crumbling.

It felt by no means as horrible as when he received his father’s letter, but it was close.

Harry felt as though he were in a dream. No – a nightmare. A horrible nightmare where he was an ugly monster that no one loved and only kept him around because he was useful to lift heavy things and cook.

To be called such a name by anyone and to be ridiculed for doing nothing more than sleeping somewhere warm!

Tears began to mist his eyes when Narcissa spoke up.

“Now, now, you two. I’ll have none of that talk. You two are respectable people of high standing. I can’t have you use such words – it’s unbecoming even it is true.”

Harry looked up towards the blonde woman and saw her blue eyes lidded as she looked him over. He was at least thankful that the tears did not fall.

She waved him away then with a simple, “You may go now.”

Harry did not remember leaving the room and he did not care in that moment. He harshly wiped at his face with his apron again as he walked up to a countertop. He rested his elbows along the surface as he slammed his face into his hands.

His thoughts ran wild with what he just listened to.

It seemed like it was the final piece of the long awaited puzzle.

Narcissa had not been a step-mother to him for a month or two now. Draco and Astoria had never treated him like a sibling. Yet, all the while, they had still been family if it was only on paper. But now. Now, Harry knew for sure where his place was in the house. They were no longer family but master and slave.

Finally allowing himself to weep, Harry’s shoulder simply shook as the raw emotion overflowed out of him.

He felt, he felt!

He felt horrible and ugly and hungry and lost and angry and dirty and sad and unwanted and, and, and!

He felt a scream almost leave him and it took everything in him to keep it in. Once sure he had it under control, Harry then lifted his head a bit to stare at the wall in hopes of concentrating to calm himself.

Instead, an old copper tea kettle sat before him. It was dented and held a deep shine to it as the metal was naturally polished with its continued use throughout the years.

The dents and the shine in the pot reflected a warped and misrepresented version of what was in front of it but for Harry, he truly felt like what he saw. A distorted, misshapen, dirty monster.

The image seemed to be the final straw for Harry as he once more hunched forward and let his head fall into his hands. His palms began to collect the fallen tears and it made Harry feel even worse. That Narcissa had finally gotten so deep under his skin as to cause him to cry simply from her words.

It seemed that Narcissa, Draco, and Astoria had transformed Harry into a creature of ash and toil.

With a great gasp, Harry lifted himself up from the counter and ran for the back door.

He slammed the flimsy piece of wood out of his way and rushed his feet down the muddy steps, heading for the stables where the one horses they still had. Knowing that he was not thinking clearly but hoping that by doing this, it would clear his head, Harry ran from the three Malfoy’s.

He ran from his problems.

He ran from the Manor.

Harry knew that he would never – could never – leave for good, but he hoped that for just one day, he could escape the world he now lived in.

And he simply wanted to feel alive once more.

.

* * *

 .

Harry did not know where he was headed and did not care. By the track of the sun above, it seemed like he was headed in a northernly direction.

The large, open fields were a delight to ride through and the farms, though empty of food, were simply fascinating to look at. They were far larger than any plot on the Manor’s land and Harry could only wonder at how many people it took to take care of the soil.

Already, he felt himself calming down from his previous woes.

The memories very much clung to Harry, but he knew from the start that he would always have to simply bury such emotions and thoughts if he were to live with the others that occupied the manor.

Instead, he let himself run further away and further north into a large forest that he had never entered in his life. The entire lands that he just ran today were practically new to him and continued to be unfamiliar the more headed in the one direction.

It felt wonderful.

A break in the riding let Harry rest for a moment along a large root of a tree while his old horse, Hedwig, wandered around before finding a wild apple tree to snack upon.

The calming breeze that flowed by allowed Harry to rest his eyes for a moment and simply breathe. He sat there for a few moments as he played with a few blades of grass and watched Hedwig walk about.

It was nice to sit on the ground, hidden by a canopy of trees.

After a few more moments however, Harry felt the itch to ride around once more and so, he did. He and Hedwig strolled around at a lazy pace, happy to be together and away from home.

The two eventually began running once more when they felt the need to fly. The wind felt wonderful as it raked through Harry’s hair and the bite of the chilled air seemed to bring Harry to life.

Then, out of nowhere, Hedwig rushed past a large bush and an unexpected third party interrupted their run.

It was a large stag, holding the most impressive antlers that Harry had ever seen on such a creature. It was shocked at their appearance as well and stepped away from them, giving an odd sounding shriek. It then reared back on its hind legs, trying to scare Harry and Hedwig off.

Even as shocked as Harry was at the magnificent sight before him, he also felt a strange warmth suddenly run through his veins.

Without knowing it, Harry reached up to his chest and rested a hand where his necklace was hidden underneath his shirt. He could not take his eyes of the stag, even as it continued to anxiously pace around and try to intimidate him and Hedwig with its antlers, and he whispered, “Father.”

The single word was striking in the air and Harry was amazed to see the wonderful deer halt in its movements to instead look right into Harry’s eyes.

The warm rush that passed through Harry seemed to still be there as the two beings gazed upon one another.

Peace was broken yet again when the sound of a horn could be heard in the distance followed by the beat of hooves cutting through the forest floor. Harry turned in the direction and soon saw a group of men riding through the breaks in the forests dense trees.

Harry knew right away what the group was doing and turned back to the stag with a frightened look on his face. He noticed that the deer held the same look as it turned is head towards the new sound.

“Go!” Harry shouted at the animal. “Don’t let them catch you!”

The deer was startled by Harry’s loud words and seemed all to happy to obey his order, even if it did not understand what was just said. It sped off right away, jumping over another bush and galloping further into the trees before Harry could no longer see it.

Almost right away, another sound of the horn was let out, closer this time and startling Hedwig as well. She reared up in shock and Harry almost fell off in surprise. He leaned forward as he felt himself slide down the saddle and gave a shout of his own. He groped for the horse’s neck in hopes of staying on. When Hedwig finally landed back onto four legs, she took off without a warning and Harry soon found himself helpless in trying to control her – Hedwig was too spooked by the unfamiliar noise.

“Whoa! Slow down girl! Hedwig! Please slow!” Harry shouted all sort of words to encourage the older horse to halt but it did nothing.

The useless feeling made Harry feel frustrated. He silently blamed himself for her behavior. If he had taken her out more for rides, perhaps she would be more used to various sounds and stimuli of the world.

“Hey!” An unknown voice shouted out of nowhere. Harry turned to his right to see a figure on their own horse, running almost parallel. He had a shocking head of red hair and a look of concern on his face. Harry was not sure what the stranger was trying to do but watched regardless as he progressively got closer.

All the while, Hedwig continued to run rampant in anxiety and fear and Harry had no control.

Finally, the other man intercepted the path that the white horse had been taking. She reared again at the interruption and Harry gave another shout at the feeling of falling as he clamped his arms further around his horse’s neck.

“Whoa, whoa there!” The red head said to Harry’s horse. “Calm down there! There, there. Can’t have you making your rider fall, can we?”

She seemed to listen to his words and instead of running off again, she simply began to kick at the dirt and pace around as she calmed her beating heart. Harry was all to glad to follow her lead and he started panting to catch his breath.

The stranger continued to look upon the horse in concern, following her pacing to try and reach out to her neck before he seemed to remember that she had a rider.

He then directed his own horse, a strong brown thing with manicured hair and tail, to mimic Hedwig so that he was able to look upon both her and Harry at the same time. The two horses began circling each other as they calmed as well, letting their riders converse at a suitable distance.

After the worry for the poor deer and his horse faded, Harry finally let himself focus more on the individual that had saved him and kept Hedwig from hurting herself or someone else.

Looking up, Harry was amazed at the sight of the other in front of him. The midday sun filtered down through top layer of the forest, bringing bright columns of light the looked like glowing tree trunks all on their own. One such ray just so happened to strike the top the males head, catching the various shades of his hair.

Harry spotted so many tones of red and orange shifting back and forth – the reds bright and oranges warm. It looked like a wild fire as the strands swayed with the light breeze. The eyes that looked upon him were a cool brown like that of a Pinetree’s bark.

Another ray of light just so happened to get caught in the orbs when he paced around on his horse, and Harry could see much more. Specs of various browns flittered about and Harry thought that he also caught a bit of deep green around the pupils.

The wonder Harry felt was also mixed with a bit of humor when he thought to himself that this man’s eyes were like the forest they were currently in.

A different feature that Harry noticed thanks to the extra light was that there were two distinct freckles underneath the outer side of the male’s left eye. While his face did indeed hold plenty of the spots across the bridge of his nose and his cheeks, it seemed as though the two under the eye were farther away from the rest and stood out because of it.

Warmth seemed to seep back into Harry then.

He did not understand why he felt warm for the stag was no longer around – it was just Harry and the handsome stranger. That brought a readily amount of heat to Harry’s cheeks and he just knew that the blush was very much noticeable. He could only hope the other assumed it was still from the run he just went through.

Harry’s spiraling thoughts were then interrupted with the simple question, “Are you alright?”

Startled, Harry looked up once more into the amazing eyes. They were filled with concern and Harry let himself feel a bit of happiness to know the look was directed at him. The pleasant feeling slowly faded, and a bit of irritation filled its place.

“I’m alright, but your blaring horns and the loud galloping about that you’ve done have nearly frightened the life out of my horse and that deer!” The glare was mild at best, but it still served its purpose when the stranger seemed to shrink back upon his horse.

Harry continued feeling a bit more confident, “What has that poor stag done to you anyhow? Why chase him around like that?”

The man straightened back up at those words with a smirk making its way upon his face, “I must confess that I have never met that particular stag before. He is a friend of yours?” The words were very much mischievous and instead of being insulted at the tone, Harry could not help smiling back in reply, feeling a bit playful himself.

“More an acquaintance actually,” Harry replied as the heat refused to leave his face and the faint anger was swept away. “We met only a few moments ago, but I am sure we could be the best of friends. So long as he lived long enough for such a thing to happen.”

The smirk left the man’s face and seemed to grow upon Harry’s at the turn in conversation.

“Oh, really? And why would you want to befriend such a beast?”

“A beast? Well he might certainly be a large creature, but I do not believe that all beasts are so big in stature and unpleasant in looks.”

“Well then what would you consider to be a beast?”

Harry did not reply. He simply looked down at his hands as they held Hedwig’s reins. The red head seemed to realize his mistake.

“I’m sorry. You do not need to reply if you do not want to.”

Harry smiled at him in acceptance and thanks. He noticed the man take in a sharp inhale as he looked at Harry, though the raven could not understand why. Was he injured perhaps? Or maybe he was out of breath as well from the run they had just been through.

“If you must know,” Harry began again when it seemed like the other man was too distracted to speak himself, “I looked into his eyes and he looked into mine and I felt like he just had a lot more to do with his life. That’s all.”

The words were honest and true to Harry. It was something instilled in him from his mother all those years ago. For all living things to be able to live their lives to the fullest before the circle that was known as life would embrace them once more.

The stranger seemed to understand how much the words meant to Harry as he did not say anything that might seem rude. Instead, he gave a nod of his own as he continued to look upon Harry.

It felt a bit intense and Harry was not sure if he said something that the other did not approve of as he kept shifting his eyes to look upon the raven every minute or so.

He shook his head then as though flinging away thoughts before he finally spoke when there was a lull in conversation, “I’m sorry, but I must know your name. What do they call you?”

It was a harmless question and yet, those last words brought back the memories of what transpired back at the manor not even a few hours ago. Harry shook his head then as he moved his eyes away from the beautiful face, “Never mind what they call me.”

The other man seemed to be saddened by those words, but he did not pry for an answer. “You shouldn’t be this deep in the forest alone, you know,” he said instead as he looked around as though proving his point.

“Oh, really? And who are you to ask such a thing of me?” Harry did not wait for a reply and instead spoke once more. “I’m not alone. I am with my friend,” Harry said. He leaned forward then to pat Hedwig’s neck in response to his own words. “And besides, if you do not want to count her, I am still not alone out here. I’m here with you, aren’t I?”

“Yes, you are. Though, we are still alone and even if you are a young man that can handle yourself, anything could happen out here.” Harry was not sure if the stranger knew his words could be taken as a double meaning but said nothing in reply. A smile did light up Harry’s face though as he let himself briefly daydream about him and the stranger embracing in the middle of the forest, alone with no eyes to see where ‘anything could happen.’

“And what do they call you, mister…?” Harry asked instead, hoping to dispel the image quicker.

The man a breathy sort of laugh, “You don’t know who I am?” His face shifted quickly from that of cheekiness to that of a serious mask, though Harry had learned a lot in the time since Narcissa took over. And the serious look that Harry saw before him was nothing more than for show. “Uh, that is,” the strange man continued, “they call me George. Just George.”

“Well then where do you live, Just George.”

“At the palace. I am, uh, currently studying under my elder brother.”

“You’re an apprentice?” A wonderous tone snuck into Harry’s voice just then, exited to learn about anything about this handsome stranger’s life.

It also explained the clothes with which George was draped in. They were very much made from fine fabrics and they seemed to compliment George’s looks and his form very well. It would not do well for anyone to wear anything but the best when living in the palace. It also made Harry wonder what people of royalty must wear if an apprentice such as George got the pleasure of wearing what he currently had on.

“Of a sort.” A small laugh left George at that as he briefly looked away from Harry before he seemed to drift his eyes back towards the raven haired man.

Harry did not see what was amusing but did not want to pry.

“That seems like a fine job. Do they treat you well?”

“Better than I deserve, most likely. And you?”

There was a longer pause then. George had looked away from Harry again. He turned back when he did not hear a reply.

Once Harry had heard the question, he did not know what to say. He could never speak ill of Narcissa even if Harry very much wanted to. She was in charge and Harry was still not yet of age. He did not believe he could ever hate her or her two children, no matter how much they hurt him so.

They were all he left in the world and even if he wished to leave their presence, he could never abandon the manor. It held to many memories and Harry refused to think about what might happen to the place should he not be there to take care of it. Besides, he would never reveal so much of himself to a man he just met and burden him with such knowledge.

Instead, Harry gave a simple response with a weak shrug of his shoulders. “They treat me a well as they are able.”

Another somber tone seemed to fill the space between the two. For Harry, it was difficult to be happy speaking to someone new while also being reminded of why he was out in the forest in the first place.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your doing.”

“Nor yours either, I’ll bet.”

The look upon George’s face was one of concern again. The unspoken words between them clearly said that both knew that it was indeed not Harry’s doing. Neither said anything else on the matter.

“It’s not so very bad. Others have it worse, I’m sure. We must simply have courage and be kind. Mustn’t we?” Harry gave a wistful sigh. He tilted his head to the side as he gave George another look. Wide eyes met him and again, Harry was uncertain about what the other was feeling.

It seemed to Harry that it was more and more likely that George was not feeling well as he kept giving Harry odd glances before quickly averting his gaze. It seemed confirmed for Harry when he finally spotted a bit of color on the others pale cheeks.

“Yes, you’re right. That’s exactly how I feel,” George replied with a small, yet genuine smile which Harry reflected.

George then gave a slight chuckle though Harry did not see what was amusing. The laugh however, was contagious and Harry felt the bubble laughter escape him.

All the while, Hedwig and the other horse had been circling one another, putting their riders in a sort of dance as they continued to twist and turn in their seats as they tried to keep eye contact. The laughter had faded but the lighthearted atmosphere remained.

Magic was a wonderous thing – Harry knew it was so, thanks to his late mother – and he believed in all the mysterious things in the world.

It was a childish thing to think of just then, but for Harry, who had not met anyone for the longest time thanks to Narcissa, it felt completely true.

Love at first sight was a tale told by mothers to children as a bedtime story but just this once, Harry wanted to believe that such a thing was as true as the sky was blue. As green at the forest was around him and as bright and wonderful as the crown of locks upon Georges perfect, gorgeous head.

He felt his heart flutter a bit at the realization that it could possibly be love at first sight, indeed.

Another giggle escaped him then and George tilted his head in question. Harry answered with, yet another laugh and George simply joined in, not knowing why, but happy all the same to revel in the happy feeling that such a sound incited.

The grin and laugh that escaped George sounded delightful, with a tone that was not too deep nor too high. His eyes closed when he gave an enthusiastic bark of laughter and they shined when he opened them again. The flush upon his face was still there and Harry thought to himself that it stood out wonderfully upon his pale figure.

The familiar sound of a horn seemed to break the magical moment and Harry turned towards the sound with a look of worry. He bit his lip before turning back to George, “Don’t hurt him, please. He hasn’t done anything wrong.”

The man gave a look of confusion at such words “You mean the stag? But my brother and I, we were hunting,” he said as he turned to look behind his shoulder, as though expecting to see his brother behind him. He turned back to Harry then with the same confused look and gave a small shrug of his shoulders, “It’s, it’s what’s done.”

“Just because it’s what is done doesn’t mean it is what should be done!”

George moved back again as though shocked to hear someone speak to him in such a way.

“You’re right again,” he said.

“Then you’ll leave him alone?”

George looked at Harry once more. It felt as though it held more meaning this time, as though all the previous looks had been out of curiosity and politeness. The bold, brown eyes held so much expression now that Harry did not believe he would ever be able to list them all, let alone understand what each emotion might be.

He gave a sincere nod to Harry then along with a smile that made his eyes glow, “You have my word.”

Suddenly feeling bashful under such a look, Harry looked down once more as he gave another smile, this time in gratitude, “Thank you very much, Just George.” He looked up as he said the last few words, wanting to leave on a better note than what had brought them together in the first place.

The red head grinned this time, showing off white teeth and a cute wrinkle that formed at the bridge of his nose.

Suddenly, another voice interrupted their staring and the two jumped back. Harry was surprised to realize that the two of them had been leaning forward just slightly.

“Ah! There you are Georgie,” a deeper voice said.

Harry turned to see another man with hair just as striking at George’s and long enough to drape over a shoulder. Though, in the back of his mind, Harry much preferred the coloring on George and the short cut that left a bit of bangs hanging just above his eyes.

“Charlie! There you are, you ran off on me did ya?” George shouted back after he turned around as well and spotted who it was.

“No, that was you dear brother.”

“Oh! Is this who are apprenticing under?” Harry asked out of the blue once he realized who the man was in relation to George.

“Apprentice?” Charlie asked, clearly having heard Harry.

“Yes!” George shouted quickly, making Harry jump in surprise at the volume, “Yes, I am studying under Charlie. Right, brother?” George looked over to Charlie with a weird tone to his voice. Harry could not see George’s face when he looked upon his elder brother, but he did see the response that Charlie gave at the unknown look for he turned to Harry then gave a nod of his own.

“Right, yes. I, uh, have been George’s teacher for the last few years. Quite the handful this one is actually-”

“Alright, Charlie, enough of that. Don’t want to bore this nice man to death with study talk, now do we?” George had clearly interrupted his brother and Harry was beginning to feel suspicious of this so called apprentice story but knew it would be utterly impolite of him to voice such a thing to an acquaintance that he just met.

Instead, Harry gave a weak smile, not knowing what to say.

“Well, we better get a move on anyways, Georgie. Daylight is burning, and we should probably head back soon before we get an earful about ruining out schedule’s even further.”

“Yes, you’re right. I’m on my way.”

Harry caught an odd look on Charlie’s face as his eyes flickered over to George before he focused back on Harry. He stayed where he was, giving the two of them a bit of privacy as they said their goodbyes.

Harry shifted around then, wrapping his hands in the horse reins, not knowing what to say now that they were to leave each other. There was a sigh from above and Harry looked up to see George open his mouth before he suddenly closed it. He gave a weak nod with a smile just as weak and turned around and trotted away.

A sinking in his chest told Harry how much he did not want to see the other leave him and felt his heart beat just a bit faster when George turned back around not even a few paces away.

It seemed that George had decided to say what was on his mind, “I hope to see you again someday, whoever you are.”

Harry was not sure how he felt about the other not knowing his name. It was a curious thing to realize that he wanted to hear his name in George’s voice, but he also liked the mild mystery that came with the other not knowing who he was.

Instead, Harry simply gave his reply with a smile and nod of his head, “And I, you.”

The grin George gave at his words made Harry very much glad he said them. The two shared one last glace. For Harry, it held longing for many reasons and he could only imagine what it meant for the red head.

Though there were moments where Harry was reminded of why he had run away that morning, the meeting had been just what Harry needed. It brought someone new into his life, even if it was only for one moment, and let him get a taste of what the rest of the world was doing.

A reminder that time was still moving forward even without Harry being able to participate.

It brought a slight twinge to his heart to realize that he would indeed never see George again, but Harry was glad the he was able to at least feel what it meant to fall in love. And even if others would never believe in such a thing as loving someone after a first meeting, there had certainly been attraction on Harry’s part, no matter what anyone else might have said.

Harry allowed himself to think about the encounter as it brought a type of bliss to his person. A content smile graced his face then and he softly hummed a lullaby that Lily had sung to him as a child that was about finding and falling in love.

Harry made sure to take his time getting back home and all the while, he happily recounted the entire meeting to himself as he made his way back home to his life at Potter Manor.

**End Chapter Five**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I would like to take the time to ask a question for you readers. I never specified that Harry had a scar in this story and though it was an insignificant thing that I just never addressed, I have been thinking that it might be something to add in somewhere with him getting it later.
> 
> Should I leave it alone and put it in the story, or should I have Harry get the scar due to something and have it play a role? It might be a small role at that, but it would still be something fun to have you guys get a say in if you wanted to.


	6. 愛

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much to say. I just hope you guys are interested in reading from the perspective of George for this chapter!

_Harry made sure to take his time getting back home and all the while, he happily recounted the entire meeting to himself as he made his way back home to his life at Potter Manor._

* * *

 Back in the forest, Prince George could be found trotting over to his elder brother with a fine dust of pink upon his cheeks. He avoided looking Charlie in the eyes but could still feel the smirk and lidded eyes that he was giving George.

Once past him, George spotted the small party that they had brought along. They seemed to be pacing through parts of forest, searching for the stag that they had been tailing for the better part of an hour.

The party was still a good distance away and George had a feeling that Charlie would eagerly take that time to make a comment.

He was not disappointed when the elder of the two spoke up then, "So, would you care to share who that just was?"

"No, in fact, I would not," George easily said in rebuttal.

"Oh, come on dear brother, I certainly saw someone. A mysterious figure that captured your attention! He was quite handsome, though I'm sure you know that fairly well by now."

The look George shot Charlie held a mild tone of annoyance and plenty of fear. "I certainly have no idea what you mean, Charlie."

"Oh?" The raised eyebrow and remaining smirk said otherwise but as he continued to watch his younger brother, the look easily fell away and concern took its place. "George, you can be honest with me you know. I won't go insisting that I know what I saw, but that does not mean that you should feel as though you cannot tell your own blood something personal."

George still felt a bit of heat on his cheeks, but the worry had overtaken any other emotion.

The giddiness and pure happiness that he had felt before had vanished alongside the brief anger that had been there towards Charlie for interrupting whatever that had been back there with him and that wonderful stranger.

"Charlie…" he trailed off, now knowing how he was supposed to say something so secretive, something to different and dare he say unnatural. The look he gave however, told Charlie that he was indeed confirming his suspicious without voicing them outright.

A small, accepting sigh left Charlie's lips then.

He gave George a once over before speaking again, "You need not say it out loud if it troubles you so much. However, I want you to think upon it and consider if it is truly best to keep something so important of yourself secret. Just know that I still love you and I  _certainly_ do not think of you or see you any differently."

The need to reach out and embrace his brother was strong yet their predicament of being on horseback stopped that action before it could begin.

Instead, George brought his horse over to ride along Charlie's and reached over, offering his hand.

With a curious look, Charlie placed his own upon George's and felt a tight squeeze as he looked into similar eyes.

"Thank you, Charlie. For everything."

Charlie gave a soft smile in response, squeezing George's hand to show his support before he pulled away, ready to head off once more. "Well, shall we try once more for the stag?"

George looked over his shoulder, as though expecting the stranger to be there with glaring eyes at even thinking of such a thing. A chuckle escaped George as he turned back to face Charlie, "No. Let's head back home."

"You don't wish to hunt? Who are you and what did you do to my brother?"

"Oh, ha ha. Perhaps I have had a change of mind and I no longer wish to participate in such a sport."

"More like some _one_  changed your mind for you."

George gave another half heated glare as he turned his reins, getting his horse to begin moving forward once more. "Perhaps. Either way, let us retire for the day. I am tired and think we both could use a bath."

"I can agree with that one," Charlie said as he caught up and they went to gather their men to prepare to journey back to the castle.

.

* * *

 .

Later in the day, after he cleaned himself off from his late early afternoon hunt, George found himself in one of the solar rooms.

Hoping to relax and wind down, he had brought a small book with him in hopes of distracting himself while waiting for his twin to arrive from his morning sword practicing.

The book did not do much in hopes of preoccupying his mind from what had happened earlier that day in the woods. George certainly did not know who that young man had been, but he sure seemed like someone special.

There had been a type of mystery around the raven haired man as he had come running through the woods from nowhere. Everything about him had been sticking in the most wonderful of ways but what stood out to George was those eyes. Their color had been breathtaking it was true, with them seeming to be some of the finest jewels the prince had ever came upon. It was light and dark in his eyes however, that made George hold his breath.

The other man's eyes had seemed to hold emotions that George had no words to. The had shined and glimmered in the sun, but the bright rays had done nothing to hide the misery that hid just behind.

The prince had wanted nothing more in that moment then to embrace the other in hopes helping the raven get rid of such emotions and thoughts.

His personality had also been a breath of fresh air.

Outside of his family, George was used to the feeling of being suffocated in the presence of others. Knowing that he was royalty made them skitter around him, shouting nothing but praise and affection in hopes of winning either his hand or his coin purse.

But this one – this young man held no such recognition. He had no idea who George was and when he had arrived, knew nothing of Charlie either. It seemed as though when the moment had come to pass, the prince had felt nothing but relief to see that the one that had caught his attention only knew him as a fellow human being who happened to be hunting in the woods.

George felt himself give a wistful sigh as he slumped further in his seat. The book in his hands slowly fell into his lap as he stared above the fireplace where a painting of his young parents looked down upon him.

The encounter between them had been such a brief moment in time. It had perhaps been no more than twenty minutes and yet, George already knew that he was horribly smitten.

He continued to look upon the painting before he had to tear his eyes away. He instead turned to look out the window to the gardens, letting his thoughts wander even more.

The portrait had been an engagement for his parents and the longer the prince stared at it, the more he could picture himself and the raven haired man in their place. He spared another look before he heard the door click open.

George turned to look and saw that his twin had finally arrived.

"Took you long enough," George said as he moved to sit upright in his chair once more.

"Yeah, yeah," Fred waved his hand in dismissal, "I had to clean up you know."

"I do know, but I didn't know realize that baths could be so long!"

"Oh, I'm sorry your highness, I did not know that you needed me so soon," Fred said in an exaggerated manor as he finally reached his brother and flopped onto his own chair.

The two shared a smile and brief chuckle at their playfulness.

George finally closed his book and set it upon the small table between the two chairs, knowing that it would not be read now that he had his twin as company.

"So," Fred began as he looked over George, a sly looking smile growing upon his face, "a little bird happened to tell me something fun."

"Oh really?" George asked in a disinterested tone as he looked back out the window, assuming the gossip would be about some maid or knight.

"I sure did. My little brother is in love!"

"Really?" George asked as he turned back around. "I had no idea that Ron was even talking to anyone."

Fred glared with a raised eyebrow. "I was talking about you, you know."

"Hey! It was only two minutes! There is no way that I am considering you older because of that," George said, ignoring the love comment in favor of their classic argument about their age difference.

"And those were the best two minutes of my life before I was to be forever attached to a goof like you."

George gave a 'hmph' through his mouth as he folded his arms and looked away again, knowing what was coming next.

"You didn't even acknowledge what I just said, let alone give a response, you know."

George still refused to look at his brother. He tried his best to continue to look out the window, hoping that the topic would be brushed off. It was bad enough that Charlie had been there to witness whatever  _that_ had been back in the woods, and he did not need to hear anymore from the one he trusted most.

"Georgie," Fred sang as he leaned over to poke his brother's shoulder, "I'll find out one way or another. So you might as well tell me now."

When it seemed like George would continue to sulk and refuse Fred's advances, he finally turned back around to face him. "There's not much to tell. I was hunting with Charlie and I met someone as they were riding through the woods. We spoke for not even a moment and then we parted ways."

"So there is someone?"

"No, Fred, there isn't. Like I just said, we parted ways."

"True. But that doesn't mean that you felt nothing for them. I mean, if you met a beauty that you thought seemed quite attractive, that doesn't mean you can't fall in love with them. Or at least enamored."

George frowned at those words, knowing that they were correct, but not wanting to give Fred the satisfaction. He pulled his lips into a thin line as he thought about whether he should say anymore. He gave sigh once he caught Fred's concerned frown. George knew that if he could not even speak openly with his twin – his best friend – then he knew that he would never be able to tell anyone.

"There's…something else."

"Oh? Well don't keep me waiting then."

"That's just if Fred. It's not something that I can easily speak about. It's something about myself that I have kept from you for a while now in fact. It is most likely the most important thing that I have kept from you actually."

Fred did not speak then. Instead, he reached out and gently placed a hand on George's, letting the other know that he was there, letting George's take his time to gather his thoughts.

Letting out a deep sigh, George finally looked up into his brother's eyes, "Fred, you're right. I did meet someone in those woods. They were wonderful and stunning. They were fun to speak with and that smile of theirs. It was like the sun. Their hair was so dark that I just wanted to run my hands through it to see if it looked as soft as I thought it may be. Everything about them was beautiful."

Fred gave a small chuckle, causing George to stir from their daydream, "Well it sounds to me like Charlie was right. You are in love."

"Yes," George said as he let his eyes fall down to his lap, "and there is one more thing about them that I love and I'm not sure you will."

"And that would be?"

George flittered his eyes over to Fred before looking down once more as he finally spoke the four words that would change his world forever, " _They_  were a man."

"Oh."

Silence filled the room then. George continued to look at his lap as he felt his heart pound in his chest. It was all he could hear in his head and he was almost certain that Fred could hear it as well.

"George, look at me please," Fred said. When his twin refused, he gently reached out and lifted George's head with the tips of his fingers.

He finally allowed his head to be lifted. He felt unshed tears in his eyes as he braced himself for whatever may come. He was not certain how Fred would react to such news and had prepared him for the worst should it happen. He was surprised to see however, a tearful look on Fred's eyes that matched his own.

"Thank you for telling me, George."

"What do you mean?" He blurted out, not knowing what else he could say in such a moment.

"I mean, thank you for finally being truthful with me. Honestly, I think I have known for a while now. Whenever mother and father or even our brothers would talk about marriage, you always seemed to clam up. If I ever started speaking about how beautiful I thought a woman was, you just seemed to nod and agree with whatever I said. I never knew for certain, it's true, but I never thought of you any differently. I never tried to push for you to be with anyone and I never stopped loving you. I still won't stop loving you so don't you dare think that such a thing changes anything between you and I."

George was stunned. He felt his mouth drop open sometime during Fred's long speech and he was sure he looked like the fish in the ponds out front.

No words came forth and instead, he leaned forward into his brother, letting his head rest upon a sturdy shoulder as he wrapped his arms around Fred's waist. He even felt himself finally give into the bottled up emotions that he had held for the better part of seven years.

Fred's shoulder began to feel damp and he felt the shaking shoulders of his twin as he wrapped himself around Fred.

Feeling a sort of understanding about what he was currently going through, Fred happily returned the embrace, letting his head fall atop his brothers. "Let it out, George. I'm still here. I still love you." He felt the arms around him tighten just a bit more. Hoping to make the situation a bit lighter, knowing how much George would appreciate it, he then said, "you do realize that I never once called your mystery person a woman? Like I said, I always had a bit of a hunch."

"Hey," George said in a warning tone as he moved away. He wrapped his face with a sleeve before he tried to glare at his twin. "Was I really that obvious?"

"I don't believe so. I know almost for certain that mother and father don't know. As for everyone else, that's another guess for me. I believe only I noticed because we are around each other all the time. I saw the small things that could be put together later on," he said with a teasing grin slowly overtaking his features.

George gave his own witty remark with Fred saying something back and soon enough, the tender moment came and went. It was true that a reveal of such a secret could have gone down several paths, but George was thankful to have someone like his brother, his confidant, his twin at his side.

.

* * *

.

That evening, Ginny could be found in her room, getting ready for dinner that evening. She was being helped into a more elegant looking dress by her personal handmaidens even if she could have easily done it by herself. She knew that as a royal princess, she must look the part, but for a young woman such as herself, Ginny loved nothing more when she was able to get away with wearing riding pants such as when she would run on horseback with her brothers.

She was grateful that her mother at least gave her the opportunity to wear such garments when riding around with her siblings. When it came to looking like a princess however, Ginny knew that she must wear correct fashions every other time as a condition.

The princess thus reluctantly let the women work around her, placing her in such a delicate and frilly looking thing.

With yesterday being the one day of the week in which their large family were able to eat alone, today marked the beginning of a new week where other people such as dignitaries and people of their courts sat in with them on the evening meal.

Once her dress and accessories were placed upon her, she headed out at once. No more than a few steps away from her bedroom doors stood Ron.

He had been leaning against the wall on the other side of the hall and once he heard her nearing, he looked up as he pushed off the stone and met up with her. He offered his arm to her and she took it with an eyeroll.

"Now, now Gin, no doing that. What kind of example would you be setting?"

"One where I don't have to be escorted around all the time just because I am a woman."

"Believe me, I know that you are very much capable of taking care of yourself should anything happen in these halls if you were alone, but does it look like I want to ignore mother's request? No thank you."

Knowing that he was simply obeying their mothers request, Ginny gave a soft sigh as they continued down the hall. They eventually made it to the dinning room and as they separated to go to their respective seats, the princess spotted the happy look on her mother's face as she spotted them arriving together.

Ginny felt a bit ashamed to be frustrated over such a simple thing and it was only because her mother worried. And yet, Ginny still felt a bit of that fire at her core that spoke of how she wanted to be treated like an equal to her brothers.

When she finally sat down, she looked around the table to see who would be joining them today.

Across from her was her were the usual suspects.

Albus Dumbledore sat on her father's other side, right across from Molly. He was the king's adviser and quite good at his job. Though it was true that the king had the final word in all affairs, having an adviser in the background was always a great benefit to seeing a kingdom flourish.

Seated next to Albus was Minerva McGonagall, the family's educator. She was a strict woman, but she was also kind. Every child from Bill to Ginny had been taught by her. The various subjects that the older woman knew had been appropriately shoved into every siblings' minds with various subjects ranging politics and math's all the way to literature and even the more relaxing studies such as gardening and philosophy.

A few more seats along the table were filled with a few lords and ladies that Ginny had known almost all her life such as Lord Parees Patil and Lady Pia Patil, who seemed to have brought along their two daughters Parvati and Padma.

Those two girls were wonderful to speak with and seeing as they were quite close to Ginny in age, the three girls were usually found together in the castle whenever they were visiting.

Lord Bartley McLagan and Lady Ciara McLagan sat across from the Patil's and Ginny was thankful to note that their son, Cormac, was not with them tonight for whatever reason. He was by no means a horrible young man, but he was known to be quite the eager suitor towards Ginny and no matter how many times she tried to decline his hand, he continued to pursue her.

It seemed that tonight there were not a lot of people that would be filling the large table and that it the meal would still be somewhat small and comfortable with conversation being able to flow with everyone being familiar with one another.

.

* * *

.

Dinner soon arrived and cups were filled. The king took his first bite and soon enough, the room was filled with light chatter as the various people around the large table spoke to one another.

For a good while Ginny spoke with Padma and Parvati seeing as they had been seated right next to her. The three young women talked about all the wonderful girly things that they had been up to and the usual conversation topics that were expected of ladies of their standing.

On a few occasions when no one else was looking or listening in on them, the three eyed one another and gave small nods in signal about what else they would talk about later when they would be free of holding a public image.

Lord Parees eventually captured both of his daughter's attention and the three fell into their own discussions, leaving Ginny to herself as she went back to enjoying her meal and looking over everyone else at the table.

As she slowly chewed on a bit of cooked carrot, the young princess soon found herself glancing over her mother and eldest brother.

The two seemed to be trading looks and having a silent conversation in between sips of their drinks. Knowing that this might be the thing to ease her growing boredom, she felt a bit of a smirk grow upon her painted lips.

"Bill?" she asked when he placed his cup down.

The eldest looked away from Molly, surprised to be addressed when he thought he had looked like he wanted to be ignored as he had not spoken much since he sat down. "Yes Ginny?"

"I haven't been able to see much of you today and I certainly have not had the chance to speak with you. I wanted to know how your day went? I do not believe that you have said a word this whole time. Are you well?"

"Sorry Gin," Bill said with a bit of pink on his nose once he realized most had looked to him at Ginny's last few words. "I'm feeling fine and I do not believe that I have had the pleasure of doing anything fun today. Just the regular schedule with the studying and training."

"Really? Not even anything in between those activities?"

Bill have a breathy chuckle, "No, I don't think so. I believe I would know since I would have been there, yes?"

She gave a shrug, "I suppose so. It's just, I have been thinking a lot recently about how you're now over twenty-five."

That stopped Bill in his tracks and everyone else at the table.

Talk of that age was obvious to everyone about what she was implying and now all ears were on the two siblings, curious about what would come about from such a conversation.

Hoping to appear subtle, but not working in the slightest, Bill glanced to their mother and father to see if he should say anything.

Molly gave a tilt of her head in thought, then turned to see what her husband thought. He looked to Bill as well before he gave a shrug of his shoulders and then a nod.

This scene did not go unnoticed by those around the table and now even more curiosity shined in eager eyes.

"As a matter of fact, Ginny, something did happen today," Bill said as he watched Ginny and Ron exchange a quick look. "In fact, I have this weird feeling as though you already know what I have to say before even I do. How strange," Bill finished with a teasing look at the two when they looked at him with large eyes, knowing they had been caught.

"Oh, big brother, how in the world could I know something only you do?"

"I don't know, you tell me."

Ginny simply pursed her lips and looked at Ron one more time. He had a dusting of red across his cheeks and nose, already accepting his defeat.

"We…may have listened in yesterday," Ginny finally admitted as she looked down, mimicking Ron.

"Yesterday?" Molly repeated.

"Yes, Ron and I heard a bit about how you and father believe that Bill should be wedded before he takes the throne."

"Ginny!" Molly exclaimed. "That is a very private conversation and you should be careful with where you speak of such a thing."

"Oh mother, these lords and ladies are people that we have known since before I was born. They are trustworthy. I am sorry for intruding on such a conversation yesterday, but I must confess, I am now even more curious about what Ron and I learned."

Arthur and Molly exchanged another look before they turned to Bill.

It seemed as though they were letting the man of the hour have the floor.

"Well I am not sure how much you two sneaks learned about, but yes, it is true. I am going to be finding myself a bride in the next two years and before I am to turn thirty years old, I shall have a wife."

Ginny and Ron traded a look from across the table and from her peripheral, she spotted as well as heard everyone else whispering to their neighbors. This was big news indeed. The heir to the throne was going to be finding himself a bride.

"Have anyone in mind?" Fred asked as he leaned forward to get a better look at Bill from over Percy and Charlie.

"Uh," Bill traded another look with Molly. He seemed almost bashful and embarrassed and Molly was frowning. "There…may be a few candidates but no, there is currently no one that is currently on my mind."

Another look to her mother reminded Ginny from a bit of the conversation that she heard yesterday about Bill had spoken about there being no princess in the surrounding lands that he thought were beautiful or at least attractive by Bill's standards. A giggle escaped her then at the thought of Bill turning his scrunched nose away from a raggedy old woman with wild gray hair and one tooth.

George noticed the titter that escaped her, and he grinned towards her, "What was that Gin? Would you care to share what is so funny?"

"Oh! Uh, nothing you need to worry yourself with Forge, just something Bill said yesterday, right Bill?"

He looked to her with a raised eyebrow in confusion before he took notice of her grin. It seemed that Bill realized what she must have been thinking about as he turned away from her. "O-oh, that," he gave a breathy chuckle, "I may have been a bit rude when I described a few of the princess that live nearby."

Fred and George eagerly began laughing once they realized what that hidden admission entailed. Charlie soon joined in while Percy, Ron, and Ginny remained unaffected. Molly had a disapproving eye that continued to shift between the twins and her eldest.

Once the humor dissipated, Minerva spoke next, addressing the heir. "What routes are you going to be taking in this endeavor to find a wife, my prince?"

"There are a few ideas that I thought about. But I must admit that I am quite stumped, actually. I believe the best course will to simply request an audience with a few kingdoms and hope to travel around in search of a bride."

A few members of the family looked at one another at the admission. It would be quite dangerous for the heir of their kingdom to be leaving in such a way.

"Surely there are other options?" Minerva voiced, unknowingly saying what was one everyone else's minds.

"Well," Molly said, "there was a bit of a talk about hosting a small gathering where we would invite some of the neighboring kingdom that still have eligible daughters."

"It would certainly be safer on Bill's part," Percy said with a nod in agreement.

Bill shifted to give a mild glare at his younger brother.

"Oh! What about a ball? Not just a small gathering, but an extravagant time so we can all have fun," Ginny spoke as he hoped in her seat at the thought.

"A ball!" Parvati said with a clap of her hands.

"That would be lovely. It would be very much a fun occasion," Padma added as she leaned over to Ginny with an eager smile.

"Well if it was a ball, then that would mean that a lot more would have to come than the few princesses I had in mind," molly reminded the three young ladies. "Besides, it should be up to Bill, right son?"

"A ball, huh?" Bill said to himself as he let his mind drift in thought. After a few anxious moments of silence, he finally addressed the table, "I think that sounds lovely. In fact, if we are to have a ball to celebrate my future wedding, then it should be extravagant, indeed."

"I agree!" the twins said at the same time.

"And it also means that I should be able to invite anyone I would like, yes?" He said this as he turned to his father.

The king seemed to rub his chin in thought before a he gave a small nod to his son. "And just who would want to invite to this ball of yours?"

"Why, whoever I should want to marry of course!"

"And that would be?"

"A princess, as per our agreement."

There was a bit of silence then. It was a true statement but the look on Bill's face spoke of hidden knowledge. It caused most of those seated to be confused and even a bit wary.

"Yes," Molly began, "it does. And how many princesses do you hope to attend?"

"All of them of course."

"All…of them? Surely you don't mean every young woman of royalty from every and any kingdom?"

"Yes, I do, mother. If I am going to expected to marry a  _princess_  and not just any woman I want, then I am only asking for the best there is. After all, we don't wish for the future king to have a horrible and unfit queen ruling by his side, right?"

"Right," Molly confirmed with clenched teeth as she squeezed her fork tightly in her hand.

"Well I think this is a grand idea Bill," Fred said, "if there are going to be so many women there, maybe I can snag a girl too!"

He gave a bark of a laugh and felt George jump in as well.

Though it had been a bit of a joke, it seemed that Molly took it seriously enough as a light seemed to glow in her eye. "What a marvelous thought, Fred! Perhaps if there are plenty of eligible woman, perhaps I can get more than one child of mine to find their partner!"

That stopped the laughing on the twin's part. They, alongside their siblings, all looked to Molly with surprised faces.

"Really mother?" Ron asked with a tint of a whine in his voice.

"I agree with Ron, you wish for us to marry as well if this ball goes through?" Ginny nearly shrieked.

"Goodness no! I would never ask that all of you be married as soon as Bill, but perhaps you can find someone as well?"

George and Fred traded warry looks. For one of them, that would mean having to marry at all, while for the other it would mean having to marry from a gender that they are not attracted to.

Knowing that it would perhaps not be the place to have a near shouting match with her mother, Ginny simply let that thought slide for a moment as she tried another route to at least appease herself should she now have to go through such a task at this future ball.

"Well if you are asking all the available princesses to come for my brothers, then I suppose that means you would be asking all available princes to come as well?" When the queen gave a simple nod, Ginny continued, "Well then it seems to me that there is already quite a bit of people that would be coming for such a grand thing. I simply think that if we are to hold such a ball for the sake of our future kingdom, then perhaps it would be our best interest to invite out kingdom as well?"

It was a bold thing to say and even though there were looks of surprise on the king and his adviser's face, it was a gleeful look on the queen's face and surprisingly, George's.

"What a lovely thing to say, my dear!" Molly shouted as he leaned over to place her hand on Arthur's. "Isn't it darling? We should invite our people to such a night!"

"Yes, I agree with Ginny," George said then as he looked almost as eager as his mother, "it would be a fun and exciting moment for the people, wouldn't it?"

Fred seemed to understand something that George was getting at though what it was, Ginny had no idea. She was simply glad to see that the two were on her side with having a many people there as possible. She was almost certain that the two were not in her mindset of having so many people there so that she could give the excuse of not meeting a prince to marry, but she would happily accept whatever crazy idea they may have been plotting.

"Then it is settled!" Molly said as she ignored her stuttering husband and the adviser on his other side. "We shall hold a ball for Bill to find a bride and we shall invite all eligible men and woman for you children as well as let the common people attend such a wonderful event."

"When should it be held? I don't believe that it would be such a fun event if we were to have it in the coming months with it soon being winter," Ginny thought aloud.

"Yes, you're correct. A spring ball would be fun. Or perhaps summer? What do you think, Bill? After all, it will be in your honor. You should decide when you would like the ball to take place. But you better not decide on something so close to your two year deadline, mister! Choose a date for something in the next year, alright?"

Bill gave a sigh. "Alright mother. How does May sound? It will be right in between Spring and Summer. And hopefully not too cold nor hot either."

"Wonderful!" Molly said with a large smile on her face.

Ginny sat back in her seat, pleased that the ball would happen now. She would be able to get enjoyment out of such an event while also not having to worry about a suitor for herself seeing as there would now be so many people attending.

She spared a look across the table to the twins and noticed how pleased George looked as well. She noticed that Fred was grinning as well as he hit his shoulder against George's, giving him a knowing look.

It seemed to her that George was happy to be a part of a large ball. The more she thought about it, Ginny realized that he had seemed exceptionally eager once he realized that the people of the kingdom were to be invited as well. Now that was an interesting little bit of information, she thought to herself as she leaned back with a pleased grin.

One thing was for certain to Ginny in that moment as she went back to her meal. With the ball now taking place in the coming spring, she could only hope that Bill would find himself the right suitor while she and her other siblings would be able to get the chance to have the time of their life and perhaps find someone for themselves as well. At least, for those besides herself.

**End Chapter Six**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well here was the next chapter. I know that some of you were probably hoping for Harry's, but I wanted to do this to set up the ball plan. But don't worry, I don't believe that I will be going back to the royal families pov for the rest of the story. So, from now until this done, expect to follow Harry. :)


End file.
